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My Pony's in the Garage

nytheatre.com review by Julie Congress
August 15, 2005

It’s always fun to hear stories about quirky families and Eileen Kelly’s one woman show My Pony’s in the Garage is no exception. With just the right mix of humor and heart, it’s an hour well spent.The Kellys are quite a family. Eileen is the youngest of six and, due to lack of space and money, spent the first six years of her life sleeping in a crib in her parents’ room. The house itself is unusual—nothing is ever repaired, but that isn’t a huge problem once you know that the carpet in the bathroom isn’t fastened down and that the doorbell doesn’t ring but does give the presser a mild electric shock. Mom is always smoking about “seven cigarettes at a time,” and the kids, as a result, go to school with clothes full of cigarette burns. Dad doesn’t pay bills until the cable man comes to get the box, or the electricity goes out, or the phones are disconnected, or the water turned off.The play (which is both written and performed by Kelly and directed by Kimmy Gatewood) is made up of short episodes. At the beginning of each, a clever heading (example: "The Darker Side of Chocolate") appears on the large screen on the back wall of the stage and a song appropriate to the subject of the next segment plays for about thirty seconds. The lights then come up on the stage and Kelly delivers a monologue about her family for a few minutes. Another blackout, and a new heading and song clip signal the start of another episode. Unfortunately, I found this device, though cute, unnecessary. More time is provided than needed for us to read the segment titles, the show drags as a result, and Kelly’s momentum is upset.At the performance I attended, a group of Kelly’s family was in the audience and I have to admit they were my favorite part of the performance. They howled with laughter not only at the stories, but also at the many family photographs that are projected onto the screen during the show. They’d quietly comment to each other on the location of the family candy store, gasp and groan at the family portraits, and frequently verify Kelly’s stories with their knowing nods and “mmhmm”s. I felt like I was at a family reunion, and it was absolutely delightful.While your experience may not be exactly the same as mine, My Pony’s in the Garage is still a joyful celebration of family, no matter how crazy that family may be. And in its sweet, entertaining, quirky way, it’s also a not-so-subtle reminder of human mortality, and the importance of appreciating our loved ones before it’s too late.