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"She Always Told Me was an incredible experience. It was so moving and relevant to today's female social issues. Much like Lily Tomlin's "Search for Intelligent Signs", the voices are immediately recognizable and the message heartfelt. I am so thrilled to see another production of this show. It's amazing!" -Molly Sims, star of NBC's Las Vegas
"Hysterical and smart from beginning to end…I was sad when it was over." -Vanessa Marcil, star of NBC's Las Vegas
"She Always Told Me" is an insightful, witty selection of monologues written by Annie Mebane. The cast does an incredible job of capturing both the humor and the poignancy of the characters they portray. The men laughed as much as the gals. Go see it! -Carolyn Fox, host of the syndicated radio show, "KHZ Radio with Carolyn Fox."
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SHE ALWAYS TOLD ME Modern womanhood is a teetering balance of individuality and commiseration, of self-esteem and self-doubt. It requires both loudly dismissing insecurities and empathetically sighing over them with other females. Many girl-powered shows flounder when they tip over the edge, creating a rant that's either feigned bravado or wearying victimization, but young writer Annie Mebane's winning evening of 12 clever monologues are funny, sharp notes that together strike an honest chord. Her ladies (Anne Gregory, Rebecca Johnson and Jen Zaborowski), be they single moms, prom-night virgins, cat-loving shut-ins or devout Christians, are commonplace (okay, cliché) characters that Mebane enriches in less than five minutes each. These women suffer from the sins of the flesh (flab and sex), and in turn seek inspiration from the holy trinity: exercise, God and Oprah. But refreshingly, they themselves are no angels, which makes them human, not saccharine. - Amy Nicholson, LA Weekly
She Always Told Me fuses history, nostalgia with a huge reality check thrown in. Actresses Kelsey Collins, Rebecca Johnson, Annie Mebane and Jen Zaborowski perform 12 stories in 70-minutes giving a private and introspective look of the various roles women adopted, either by their own volition or by society’s burdensome influence. And if that isn’t enough cojones, Johnson and Mebane’s company, Little Ventures Productions, produced this production.
With empowering songs guiding them, Patsy Cline’s Your Cheatin’ Heart and an early Madonna classic Express Yourself, the actresses put in motion familiar situations that a real life woman has either gone through or know someone who has. Nothing is forbidden and the issues are extremely recognizable. Topics such as weight, loneliness and finding a place in the world that keeps changing the rules, are told in a touching and humorous manner but simultaneously hitting close to home.
Mebane is the re-incarnation of Shirley Temple with her perfect, blonde ringlets surrounding her face. Her youthful appearance makes it believable when she plays a vain teenager who believes she’s overweight and unattractive. Who doesn’t remember that awkward stage? In another scene, she’s a politically correct high school feminist laying down the rules, in a direct but vulnerable way, to her prom date on having sex for the first time. Times have not only changed it’s foreign. Mebane’s acting cohort Collins, however, forgoes the problematic teen years for the more advanced, complicated adult phase.
She’s hysterical as a hyperactive spinning instructor who’s a recovering alcoholic. As she encourages the cyclists to keep going and get fit, she adds in jabs of how her life fell apart because of booze but through the ‘the miracle of spin’ she found salvation. In another segment, she’s a jet setting sophisticated babe, who’s a proud size 4, and secretly works three jobs to support her lavish and maxed out lifestyle. Think of having the expensive taste of Samantha Jones but using Carrie Bradshaw money. Collins chic alter ego is in a no better place then Zaborowski cantankerous, housefrau from Iowa who lives on peanut M&Ms and her cat’s company. This is every woman’s nightmare, though humorous but oh so scary.
Which pretty much describes Johnson, a striking redhead, plays a Stepford-esque wife. She’s polished in an emerald green blouse and matching skirt protected by a blue apron and mopping the floor in heels. She confesses that her hubby Dick, has a thing for role-playing and one of them is having his wife transforming into a dutiful and obedient housewife. This is considered a sexy turn on? Memories of actress Barbara Billingsley from the 1950s television show Leave It to Beaver springs to mind.
She Always Told Me speaks the gospel truth on how women’s roles have changed throughout the years and continue to evolve. Collins, Johnson, Mebane and Zaborowski bring into focus the challenges women have faced, survived and thrived. Hopefully, the guy reading this will nod his head and release an ‘I see your point’ sigh instead. -Mary E. Montoro, SoCal.com
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Written By: Annie Mebane
Directed By: Matthew Rocheleau
Starring:
Annie Mebane |
Rebecca Johnson |
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Jen Zaborowski |
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Are you an alcoholic spin class instructor? A Marx-quoting feminist set on losing her virginity on prom night? Or how about a housewife that practices S&M with a naughty broom? Join the club! Performed by four daringly delicious dames—Anne Gregory, Rebecca Johnson, Jen Zaborowski and Annie Mebane (who is also the playwright)—She Always Told Me is so incredibly astute, it's goosebump-scary. Almost entirely comical, this play (told in twelve original monologues), unleashes the estrogen demons that haunt nearly every woman. If you've ever laid out blueprints for your wedding or grabbed your fat rolls in disgust, this play will leave you in I-can-so-relate stiches. Dudes will love the play because they've most likely encountered these neuroses—and laughed at them, of course. The music in between each act is also a treat: Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," Doris Day's "I Enjoy Being a Girl" and Madonna's "Express Yourself"—nuance-free girl anthems, but delightful listening no less. If you're lucky, home-baked cookies will be served at the performance. But most importantly, your inner bitch will be fed.— Lien Ta, LA.com
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