Midtown International Theatre Festival Reviews

Hillary and Monica: The Winter of Her Discontent

reviewed by David Gordon

Jul 24, 2008

Hillary and Monica: The Winter of Her Discontent is a "what-if" play. Playwright/director Yvette Heyliger details what might have happened had Hillary Clinton and Monica Lewinsky taken a meeting while Monica was doing the dirty deed with Bubba. The result is a somewhat confusing session in the East Wing's China Room where a condescending Hillary and an oblivious Monica take turns telling their stories to an imaginary courtroom.

Hillary and Monica are played by Heidi J. Dallin and Jacqueline Kristel, respectively. Dallin captures all of Clinton's mannerisms and the resemblance is startling. As I was looking through the press photos on the train after the show, the gentleman next to me said, "that's Hillary Clinton, right?" When I responded that it was an actress who looks like her, the gentleman was flabbergasted.

Jacqueline Kristel gets her mouth around Heyliger's sophomoric (yet still funny) double entendres ("the oral office," for one) with ease, and delivers a very funny portrayal of a "little girl" who loves the power of being in an illicit relationship with the President. The look on her face when Hillary says she'll introduce her to Reverend Jesse Jackson is priceless.

Rounding out the ensemble are Vanessa Shaw and Jeff Pierce. Both are strong comedic actors—Shaw is stronger in her first scene than in her second; Pierce is stronger as Bill Clinton than as the random Secret Service Agent who comes in to see why there's so much screaming in the China Room.

Heyliger's script and direction are often humorous, but at points confusing (whenever they refer to the courtroom.) It's more absurd than any Saturday Night Live sketch on the same subject, but, at times, it has more to say about ambition and the reasons behind one's actions than your average comedy routine. In some cases, the discussions go around in circles, but more often than not, you'll end up having a hearty laugh. And if you're a Hillary for President supporter, make sure you drop a dollar into the kitty at the end of the show. They're taking donations to pay off her campaign debt.

Written/created by: Yvette Heyliger
Directed by Yvette Heyliger
Presented by Twinbiz