MONKEYS on My Back & Everywhere Else! – Odyssey Theatre
Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
Great beginning! Debbie Kasper is a multiple award-winning writer-performer, and a two-time Emmy nominated writer, starts her solo show with, ‘Do you like me yet?’ And she lets us know how she feels standing there so exposed, letting all of us judge her. The beginnings are difficult, so to make it smoother, she starts with the comedy from the very beginning.
The show is about herself, her mother who didn’t believe in compassion or compliments, and about a loss of the love of her life, which brought a huge change in who she became. My friend Lena, who came with me to see the show said, ‘I Loved it! It started out with comedy and became a soulful journey with universal themes that the whole audience can relate to. I laughed a lot … and at times it made me think … and then laugh again … until ultimately, we were all as one in the theater. The production is pure joy – a comedy with heart.’
Deeply emotional, she makes a lot of great impressions of her mom, who had a cigarette in her mouth pretty much all the time. Without getting much understanding or love during her upbringing, she became a Girl Scout just for the cookies at first, but then she discovered theatre, a place where anyone can be someone else. And everything became about her… She went to New York where addictions are all around and sank into a drinking problem. Then she fell in love with comedy, because every city has a comedy bar. And she needed a drink to manage anything. She never thought love would walk into her life one day. But it happened, he danced into her life and made her love him. Then the tragedy strikes and after many years of battling with cancer, they had to say their final goodbye. She was with him all the time and she learned how to be brave, how to love unconditionally and the change that happened – is beautiful. Even though she feels lost and doesn’t know who she really is, she became an open heart who cares for others and knows how to love. She realizes, ‘We came down here to learn how to love!’ The audience experienced love in action, the purity of divine love, vulnerability, grace and all of this through a wide range of emotions.
A visiting production of MONKEYS on My Back & Everywhere Else!, written and performed by Debbie Kasper, at Odyssey theatre has a red chair on the stage and Debbie is all in black – the combination of colors fits the show well. An enchanting opening with some music and house rules was performed by Wendy (Wyn) Wilson (best known as being a part of the threesome Wilson Phillips), an award-winning performing artist. Michael Blenderman is in charge of Lighting design and Ernest McDaniel is a stage manager. Produced by Lindsay V.Jones and Maz Siam, the production is directed by Chris Barnes. With his keen sense of timing and seamless staging, Chris shaped the show into its final look. The collaboration between Debbie and Chris produced a lovely play worth seeing.
The run of the is from March 7th – April 12th 2026 at Odyssey theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles, CA. 90025. There is Free Parking on the property.
Regular Performances are on Fridays & Saturdays 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. Two performances on Saturday, Mar. 21 & 28 and Apr. 4, at 2pm & 8pm. The admission is $34.
To reserve a ticket, go to www.DebbieKasper.com