We learn Bonnie is on probation after talking to her students about Jesus. Meanwhile, Neil (having just moved back to the small Ohio town where the musical is set) is eager for people to talk to and treat. He's left a lucrative job in New York to practice an experimental treatment method but finding clients is difficult despite his passion. "We tend to trust our hands more than our eyes," he explains to Bonnie when she comes in after having injured her neck for the countless time. She's puzzled when he asks her questions instead of just popping it back into place and floored when it actually works.

The pleasure she experiences causes her to launch into song ("Born Again Again"), exclaiming, "on a scale from one to ten I'm feeling, "hell, Yeah!". A kinship grows between them despite his unease towards religion and hers towards gay people, and she invites him to recruit clients at her bible study. "Think of it as a book club...where everyone likes the book!" she says to convince him.

There's a sincerity about Swing State that's affecting, and Resnick and Weed complement each other's energies nicely exchanging witty lines. While the show never quite builds to reach its potential, Yeaton and Minton along with director Igor Goldin craft a story void of clichés with social and political undertones that are muted enough to let two vivid characters come to life.

-- Chris Kompanek