Kevin J. Thornton learned at a young age the best way for him to charm someone was to get them to see him onstage. That approach didn't work out so well when he tried to seduce his high school crush (a guy) by fronting a Christian rock band, but the out, proud, and seductively tattooed Thornton is charming Orlando audiences onstage in I Love You (We're F*#ked).
Thornton tells candid stories about his life with humor that vacillates between faux arrogance and self-deprecation, putting the audience at ease. He reveals events in his life with the steady rhythm of a storyteller, breaking the tales up with jokes and original songs that he plays on guitar and sings with a bit of a twang.
Most of the material is about Thornton's experiences with love and sex. No doubt all can relate to the human experience of his stories, but gay men in particular will find familiarity in the events. Recounting himself as a cocky young gay man buffeting the advances of a less desirable man, Thornton says, â┚¬Å”It's easy to imagine yourself the winner before the contest has even started.â┚¬Â We know that guy, we were that guy.
Thornton calls one portion of the show â┚¬Å”Blood Storiesâ┚¬Â because, well, the stories have to do with blood. In one story, he recalls an injury at summer camp that left the doctor's office bloody. This segment made some audience members nauseous, prompting a man behind me as we were exiting after the show to remark that he could â┚¬Å”done without that part.â┚¬Â Personally, I was too busy laughing to be queasy.
Much has been said around the beer pasture about Thornton's looks, but let me assure you, he's more than a pretty face. It is also worth noting, lest you be led astray by the provocative show posters with Thornton's bare ass, that he does not appear naked in the show. Maybe you figured that out on your own when you were highlighting the shows with nudity warnings in your Fringe listing.
It could be said, though, that Thornton's honesty finds him figuratively naked before us. While he insists he is just telling stories and has no message, he delivers one just the same: â┚¬Å”Love is a bitch, but you should do it again anyway.â┚¬ÂÂ
Show: I Love You (We're F*#ked)
Theatre Group: 55BC â┚¬â€œ Nashville, TN
Venue: Brown
Remaining Performances:
5/24 Tue. 7:25 PM
5/25 Wed. 10:45 PM
5/27 Fri. 11:55 PM
5/28 Sat. 4:30 PM
