Everyone knows which two women are referred to in the title of playwrights Victor Bardack and Edward Michael Bell’s comedy “Hillary and Monica.” The world premiere production, directed by the renowned comic genius Joel Zwick at a quick pace that keeps the action moving and totally natural given the idiosyncrasies of the four characters, generates knowing laughs throughout given the well-known subject matter.
Ben (Barry Pearl who commands every scene with his physical presence and continual reference to classic Hollywood noir film lines and the stars who delivered them) and Pete (Rick Pasqualone who gives new meaning to a serial womanizer) are two combative writing partners who reunite to write a “blockbuster” play about the most infamous political sex scandal of the 20th Century. Rather than centering on the “facts” as reported in the media, their script pivots around a proposed clandestine meeting between Hillary and Monica in an upscale suite of a Baltimore hotel.
But no matter how hard they try, not much really gets written, especially after the two realize their play’s problems run deeper than they initially thought. After all, Hillary is a wealthy Presidential candidate and Monica is a struggling C-list celebrity who attracts media attention for whatever she does – and most likely neither of them would welcome this theatrical exposé of their lives. What will happen if the two women decide to sue them for defamation?
Ben’s paranoia pushes Pete to call his lawyer, Greg Goldfarb (Phil Morris), an African American who likes to speak in Yiddishisms since it throws potential clients off-balance over the phone. His thinking that a Jewish attorney will make more money seems to be ringing true, but like Pete, Greg has a serious gambling problem and money is scarce.
Ben has a girlfriend, Tiffany (Rena Strober), a used-up dance hall instructor who doesn’t think Ben’s a great lover but he’s a sometime roof over her head that benefits from her care. What Ben does not know at first is that Tiffany has been intimate with Pete, and Pete was also involved with Ben’s ex-wife when he was in the hospital undergoing prostate surgery. Can things get any more complicated for this quartet, all of whom make Bill Clinton look like a Sunday school teacher? The four are far, far naughtier than the subjects of their creative endeavor and way more funny!
Technical credits are first rate from JR Bruce’s exquisite scenic design, Adam Hunter’s lighting design, Michael Mullen’s costume design that has the everyday wear of the characters totally reflect their personalities, right down to Ben’s red suspenders which highlight all the red tones of the set design. Even the film noir movie posters on Ben’s apartment walls pick up the same color tones. And with a throwback to many classic TV shows, the unseen over-the-intercom downstairs doorman Dragos is hysterically played in voice overs by Brian Kale. His every interruption creates an even greater frenzy in the action.
There’s scandal, sex, politics, sex, hypocrisy, sex, scheming, sex, big-time laughs, and sex in more musical beds than can be counted. So rush to get your tickets to see the world premiere of “Hillary and Monica,” presented by an all-star cast and technical team as a guest production presented by Argus Entertainment at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Performances continue through June 12 on Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $35 to $25 and can be purchased in advance by calling 323-960-7735, or online at www.plays411.com/hillary.
