Donny and Vladdy

A successful and albeit egocentric President of America has several meetings with a strong and successful nationalist. Based on the descriptions, or maybe you are just up-to-date with current events, you know this is referring to Donald Trump, President of the United States, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia. In the play/book, Donny and Vladdy by M.G. Crisci, the audience gets to see into the meetings of two successful men, both working for the best of their countries. Crisci, a retired newspaper reporter with a love for writing, records their interactions in a way that you feel that you’re right there with them.

Throughout the story, we observe the two in places such as Moscow at the Kremlin Grand Palace, the Google conference room in California, a beach in Crimea, and even a Jell-O factory in Indianapolis, IN. Throughout the story, the two meet in various locations to discuss matters of politics, such as the democracy of America or NATO, and they spend plenty of time with Trump giving business/presidential advice to Putin. True to his style, in Moscow, Trump compares his personal apartment rooms to those in the Kremlin Grand Palace, and we learn that Trump’s are “UUGE, REALLY UGE!” The two presidents then discuss family, and we hear the beginning of nicknames being given to other well-known people, such as “Horrible Hilary” and “skinny boy from Hawaii/Kenya.” Donny starts giving free financial business advice to Putin, and Putin responds by talking about Russia’s historical baggage (e.g., World War II should actually be called Great Patriotic War).

At the Jell-O factory, Trump discusses free-market capitalism with Putin since Russia practices Socialism; the solution to this: build Trump University Number Two in Russia to have Americans teach open-minded Russians about a better economic structure, and invest in more Trump Hotels run by his daughter Tiffany! In a discussion regarding Crimean Annexation, Trump’s solution is the construction of the Trump Grand Crimean Towers! They then discuss NATO with a special guest appearance by a famous pizza man.

Throughout the story, Trump is trying to work with Putin to help Russia become a better country. Normal for Trump, Twitter is also suggested to Putin, to which Putin responds that he owns Russia’s newsrooms, so he can always control what gets discussed. While in Eastern Ukraine, tensions eventually rise and possible threats are given. Will the two make nice and continue to work together for the good of their countries?

An enjoyable story meant to be politically incorrect but that would appeal to those versed in history and politics as well as those who know it more loosely. I would watch it as a play and read again as a book.