"David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show"
Niki Hatzidis
Almost everyone can say that they have some doozy stories about their love life; the good, the bad, the embarrassing. What if you decided to stand up and tell those stories, truthfully, with no filters, in front of complete strangers. Well, that is exactly what David Dean Bottrell decided to do. David has taken real stories about his past relationships and spun them into a comedic and openly honest solo show called David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show.
Bottrell has been a guest star and has had recurring roles on numerous popular televisions shows including Modern Family, Mad Men, True Blood, and Ugly Betty. He has graced the stages of LaMama, Second Stage, Philadelphia Theatre Company and more. Not to mention his prolific experience as a screenwriter for major Hollywood Studios. He has performed other one-man shows and has been active in the story-telling circuits of both LA and New York City.
David got into show business initially because of a crush. He told me about how his very religiously conservative upbringing fostered a very rich and active imaginative life. In high school, David decided to audition for a play in order to meet a girl he was obsessed with name Valryn, but he ended up really liking being a part of the drama club. “I was amazed that I got cast,” David said, “and even more amazed that I liked being on stage.” That was just the beginning. “Fast forward a few years and suddenly, I'm a young stage actor in New York, then I'm an off-Broadway playwright, then I'm a Hollywood screenwriter, then I'm a TV actor, then I'm back on stage telling stories, and now I'm all of those things plus I'm a monologuist and audiobook star,” Bottrell told me. “It's all been insane and incredibly fun.”
The idea for his one-man show, David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show, came about quite by chance as well. David was living in Los Angeles, newly single and not loving the dating scene. “It seemed like the single gay population of Los Angeles basically broke down into two groups: Those I was attracted to and those who were attracted to me,” Bottrell said. “One night I told a story about my ex at a popular storytelling show, and it sort of blew the roof off the place.” It made David think what other love stories he had up his sleeve and the show began to be developed, comprised entirely of true stories. The latest version had a workshop at Dixon Place Last year. “It was my first time to do the show here and it got this amazing response. I'm so happy that we're bringing it back at the Triad now.”
“It's been fun, but also scary at times,” David said about the personal nature of his solo show. “I've told stories in this show that were not originally intended for public consumption. The process of writing them has been liberating and amazing, but sometimes when I actually hear all this truth coming out of my mouth, I think to myself, ‘Shut up! What the hell are you doing? Nobody wants to hear about your personal garbage!’” But the show has had nothing but positive responses, and the parts that scared of, would get the biggest laughs. “Mostly, people have said, ‘I was just so relieved to find out I'm not the only person who did THAT!’” People often stay behind to tell David personal stories about themselves that resonated when they saw his show. “It's very humbling. I'm always honored that they want to share that with me.”
But David admits that its hard to perform a show that holds so many memories and that is deeply personal. “In some performances, I tell a story called, "Soul Man" about this ridiculously crazy time in my life when everything that could possibly go wrong, did. It felt like I was cursed; like this tsunami of bad luck was never going to end. But it did,” Bottrell said. “And out of that ordeal, I learned what ultimately mattered to me as a person, and that I will always have a uniquely personal path with or without a romantic partner.” But telling these difficult stories has been cathartic at times and it truly touches those who have been through similar hardships. “It's tough to tell it in front of an audience because it sort of takes me back to that time, but I'm always glad afterward. I get a lot of amazing emails from audience members about that story.”
If you are thinking about embarking on creating your own solo show, David has some very good advice. “I think there are two important things to keep in mind if thinking about going it alone. The show has be about something bigger than you -- meaning there's got to be a takeaway; a lesson of some kind for anybody who comes to see it," Bottrell told me. “Second, a solo show demands that you do something outside your comfort zone. You've got to tell more truth than you intended to. If you're willing to genuinely stick your neck out, the audience can sense that and it changes your relationship to them. And then something kind of great can happen. You can really reach some hearts and minds after that.”
When I asked David what he wants his audience to leave with after seeing the show, he told me hope, and that we are all more connected than we think we are. "Love is a small, simple word, while also being such a huge, expansive concept,” Bottrell said. “I'd like people to think past just the idea of romantic love, and start to take notice of the people around you who care about you and your well being. A lot of people fear being isolated and unnoticed.”
Other the than the show being performed again live in both New York and LA, David had some other exciting news. David is the author of a book published last year called WORKING ACTOR: Breaking in, Making a Living, and Making a Life in the Fabulous Trenches of Show Business.
When he was performing the latest version of David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show, he invited people he had met at Penguin Random House. They loved it and wanted to turn the show into an audiobook. “I was floored. I only had one request of them: that we record it in front of a live audience, which we did in January down at Dixon Place.” The audiobook will be released on February 11th. “Which is my Mom's birthday! I'm very, very excited about it.”
David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show will be performed at The Triad on February 12th, 19th and the 26th in New York City. Then on March 6ht, 7th and 8th, David will be performing it at the ACME Theatre in Los Angeles. After that David has big plans. “I think I'll collapse for a while. Damn...that sounds really nice.”
Niki Hatzidis is an actor, writer and award-nominated playwright based in New York City. NikiHatzidis.com.