YOUR FAVORITE LOGO TV SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+

Actor-Playwright Ben Rimalower Is "Bad With Money," Good With Storytelling

Ben Rimalower had the New York theater scene talking last year with Patti Issues, a one-man show detailing how his chaotic youth intersected with Broadway icon Patti LuPone. The out playwright-performer's newest show, Bad With Money, is even more personal—unspooling a tale of overspending that seemingly dates back to the crib. (His first words were bah-mis, or "buy me this.").

But Bad with Money isn't just about blowing through Bar Mitzvah gelt and bouncing rent checks: Rimalower has destroyed friendships, lost jobs and even taken money for sex to keep himself (barely) afloat.

We soon see, however, that the real problem isn't a lack of funds—even if he won the lottery, Rimalower would be back in the red soon enough. It's about addiction, the unquenchable need for more. A desire for that one item that will make you life feel perfect and whole, even if we can't afford it.

It's a yearning many gay men can relate to, even if we haven't been blown by old guys or gone on weekend coke binges.

It's a testament to Rimalower's humor and energy that, even as he recounts some rather sordid misadventures, he doesn't solicit our pity. Empathy, yes—but his rapidfire delivery precludes too much wallowing. Imagine David Sedaris—if Sedaris shared anecdotes about charging $10,000 on his boss' credit card instead of making children cry at Christmas.

Our confessional culture has made it easy to disclose problems with drugs, alcohol, food, and even sex—as long as you're "in recovery." But thankfully Rimalower doesn't turn Bad with Money into a 12-step meeting (or a Suze Orman lecture). There aren't any neat solutions or happy endings.

"I'm standing here telling you this story," he tells the audience, "but I'm still stuck in it."

Ben Rimalower is Bad with Money runs at the Duplex in New York through December 18.

Latest News