betty rules

written by and starring betty

magic theatre, san francisco,ca

zipper theatre, nyc

lakeshore theatre, chicago

directed by michael greif

designed by kevin adams

Seen Off Broadway:

from LIVE DESIGN

BETTY Rules,

at Off Broadway’s Zipper Theatre, features the members of BETTY, the trio of punk-harmony singers and satirists—sisters Amy and Elizabeth Ziff, and the astoundingly tall and vivacious Alyson Palmer—as they relive their lives and hard times. Now in their 17th year of cult success, they’ve survived boneheaded record executives, womyn’s music festivals, hostile audiences, and their own internal conflicts. Indeed, they portray themselves as riotously feuding neurotics—at one point, the Ziff Sisters even compare themselves to Blanche and Baby Jane Hudson--and some of the show’s most hilarious scenes are set in "band therapy" sessions, with the girls gleefully trading savage home truths. At any rate, the combination of bitchy humor plus distinctive song stylings results in a fast and funny 90 minutes. Kevin Adams is both set and lighting designer, and he provides BETTY with a mini-extravaganza of deeply saturated colors, spinning dot patterns, popping strobes, and other effects. (With this show, plus his gigs with John Leguizamo and the original production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Adams is now the go-to guy for alternative--read: rock-influenced--theatre events.) On the evidence of this show, it’s fair to say that not only does BETTY rule--BETTY rocks.