He meets a woman, proposes to her and they choose to get married in Vegas by Fat Elvis.  He recommends drinking vodka to disguise his alcoholism as it doesn’t smell.  Drink ruins his sex life and his marriage.  At the State Fair, the scene is lit red, he is busted and taken off shows.  He goes to the first AA meeting, gets his first white chip but after 70 days of sobriety, he lapses at the airport with a seven day bender.

Then there’s pet ownership when during a black out he acquires two cats from an animal shelter. His mother contacts him.  She has been awarded a bronze chip for a year’s sobriety and he goes to a new meeting.   In Florida he gets a mentor played by Ashlee Irish who gives him the choice, “You quit here. Or you go to jail. Or you die.”  The mentor explains the science of addiction to Steven and this seems to make better sense to him than relying on God or a Higher Power. Matt Ryan directs with variety and scene changes are down to #1 and #2 who keep the whole show well paced almost perpetually arranging chairs in a circle for meetings. 

Inspired by his mother Steven can start notching up sober days but will he succeed?  You need to see this brilliantly written, directed and acted play which Theatrevibe, the site that doesn’t do stars, awards Five White Chips.