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The Monster Under My Bed Drank My Vodka

nytheatre.com review by Jaime Robert Carrillo
August 15, 2005

There’s a rather humorous sign that sits onstage at the beginning of The Monster Under My Bed Drank My Vodka. It’s two different photographs side by side, with one labeled “Good Boyfriend” and the other photo “Bad Boyfriend.” It’s funny because it’s the same man in each picture.The Monster Under My Bed Drank My Vodka is a one-woman performance written by and starring Lisa David Dean. It’s told in the fashion of stand-up comedy. Dean plays herself and takes us through a light-hearted account of rather traumatic hardships growing up in New York, such as: enduring her parent’s divorce, her stubborn penchant for superstitious rituals, a habitual eating disorder, her evident alcoholism and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, an engagement, a number of break-ups, and being uprooted to the West Coast. These situations are anchored by the recurring comical theme of how she wishes to be a bona fide witch because that way she would be able to control the misadventures. The story is presented like a one-on-one conversation with the audience through different characters, such as her eight-year-old cousin, and acting out different scenes from her past, including revelations she has alone in her bedroom. If you’re a fan of watching comediennes and/or of silliness, you’ll enjoy the show.It’s a well-constructed piece in terms of the order of the scenes, and how one misadventure leads to another. We’re never lost at any point, the material is easy to empathize with, and Dean draws in the laughs. She’s comfortable on stage, even when she reveals information that many of us would consider private. At one point, she likens an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to being like a dance club; another time, she describes the tricky affair of breaking up with an acting teacher, and then attacks the “Bad Boyfriend” photo. Dean pulls off a presentable narrative of silly adventures, despite their serious nature.When she portrays herself, Dean’s acting tends to presentational, if peppy. In contrast, her characterization of her sweetheart of a cousin, who appears throughout Lisa’s crises and demonstrates convincing concern while still remaining funny, proves that Dean can balance conveying believable emotions along with her comedy. Perhaps she and her director Anthony Rich can capitalize on this in future iterations of The Monster Under My Bed Drank My Vodka.