Hillary and Monica

Reviewed by Lovell Estell III
Odyssey Theatre
Through June 12

RECOMMENDED

No White House blow job is displayed here — no stained dresses or rhetorical denials, not even a House impeachment. But just in time for the circus that is the current scramble for the Oval Office arrives Victor Bardack and Edward Michael Bell’s delightfully ticklish story of ambitious scribes and showbiz survival, with some requisite backstabbing tossed in.

Writer Ben Rose (Barry Pearl) is reveling in success, with a big movie deal with Disney in the works and the sometime affection of his beautiful girlfriend, Tiffany (Rena Strober). But all good things must come to an end, and such is the case when his writing partner and friend Pete (Rick Pasqualone) suddenly drops in looking a tad disheveled and on the run from the IRS — and an enraged bookie. Needing some quick money, Pete has a plan for how to get some, and his shrill pleadings finally convince Ben to revisit an idea the two had had about writing a play based on a fictional meeting between Monica Lewinsky and Hillary Clinton at a Baltimore hotel.

It’s the brainstorming and piecing together for this desperate, boneheaded inspiration that supplies a good deal of the laughs. Should they include the famous blow job? Is the stain on the dress worth mentioning? And what about the possible legal ramifications? Enter lawyer Greg Goldfarb (Phil Morris), an African-American who uses Yiddish phrases to fool potential clients, and who bears a few nasty secrets that eventually upset the applecart. If you happen to be a movie buff, you’ll love Ben’s encyclopedic knowledge of famous movies, their stars and their memorable lines, which he constantly interjects, like an uncontrollable tic, as well as his endearing, klutzy demeanor. It’s all nicely put together under the deft hand of veteran director Joel Zwick, who draws out solid, energetic performances from the cast.

Argus Productions at the Odyssey Theater, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles; Thur.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; through June 12. (323) 960-7735 or www.odysseytheatre.com. Running time: ninety minutes with no intermission.