Dan Hoyle Returns, Channeling America, Amazingly

by Corey Finnegan & Barry David Horwitz

This review was first published at Theatrius on October 9, 2024.

It’s time again to enjoy the gaggle of folks that Dan Hoyle has lived with and recreated from across the country. Hoyle uses his rubber-face, his whole body, and his reportorial skills to bring other Americans home to us.

Dan, the popular S.F. journo-theater artist, has been touring the country with his hit show “Takes All Kinds.” Well-known for his his expressive physical presence, he is bringing us a remarkable embodiment of Americans with a magnificent range of beliefs and political opinions.

Hoyle’s latest one-man show, “Takes All Kinds,” offers a moving and timely look at contemporary America by acting out the actual words of a wonderful tableau from his travels.

Master mimic Hoyle showcases real Americans’ feelings about our broken politics and broken culture. Hoyle masterfully conjures one colorful character after another, leaving us wishing that the show would go on longer than its modest 75 minutes. He offers a master class in character creation.

Early on, Hoyle introduces us to one of the show’s key themes: How our deeply-held political beliefs have led to a tribal ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ mentality. Hoyle intently chips away at the dehumanization of the ‘other.’ Dan has the amazing ability to embody the common humanity of a fascinating and diverse cast of characters, with the flick of a wrist or wrinkle of an eyebrow.

From his interviews across the U.S., Hoyle has chosen the most remarkable and unforgettable characters, those who exert an outsize influence in our national elections.

In Florida, he attends a school board meeting in a county where the board has been taken over by members of the Proud Boys. There, a conservative mom reveals her reflexive disgust for the Bay Area: “Where are you from? Oakland, California? Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Hoyle drives home how isolated we are from other folks.

Despite the often-serious tone, there are lots of laugh-out-loud moments. A Black woman in Las Vegas laments the rise of in-your-face racism in the Trump era. After Trump’s “victory” in 2016, she describes being threatened with rape by a truck full of young, raucous white guys. She seems more disappointed than frightened: “It’s a beautiful country, it really is. Shit, I just went to a twerking class.”

In a midwestern barber shop, he plays three Latino barbers who enjoy their friendly disagreements about the 2024 election. They have to work both day and night jobs and have no time to spend with their families.

Some of his interviewees make fun of Dan to his face, lovingly: “Hey, we got a hippy from Oakland here!” Others don’t trust him until he stays on long enough to prove himself. The hidden dynamic between the Journo-Actor and his cautious, honest friends keep the show dynamic.

Dan Hoyle, Bay Area treasure, is a Master Reporter and brilliant imitator. Hoyle knows Americans and brings them home to us, so we can understand and laugh in the company of our fellow citizens.

“Takes All Kinds” is a masterpiece of empathy, reporting, and channeling of citizens we would never meet ourselves. Don’t miss this new chance to discover the U.S. with Dan again.

“Takes All Kinds: Stories of American Democracy”—written & performed by Dan Hoyle, directed by Aldo Billingslea & Michael Moran, developed with Charlie Varon, at The Marsh, San Francisco.

Info: themarsh.org – to June 6, 2026.

Cast: Dan Hoyle (playing many roles)