Business, Politics Hilariously Collide in American Players Theatre's 'Born Yesterday'

By Michael Muckian, Shepherd Express | July 3, 2018

Shady businessman Harry Brock has big plans during his visit to Washington, D.C., and he doesn’t want his paramour, former chorus girl Billie Dawn, causing problems with her uneducated ways. Brock hires journalist Paul Verrall to tutor the uneducated Billie, only to discover that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

The familiar premise helps sculpt a hilarious and insightful narrative in Garson Kanin’s Born Yesterday, which opened recently in American Players Theatre’s outdoor Hill Theatre in Spring Green. APT’s combined technical and artistic skills result in a romp that has the audience both laughing and thinking, the latter evident in the spontaneous applause erupting whenever Kanin, through his characters, offers commentary on government corruption and manipulation that strikes uncomfortably close to home with the current presidential administration.

But Born Yesterday transcends mere political manifesto, creating a very human story of growth and the desire to do more than play the cards that life has dealt. Billie’s growth as a person, hilarious as it is, drives a more meaningful story of hope and desire, and the plucky former chorus girl exceeds all expectations.

Read the rest of the review here!