Working for the Mouse

Last week I saw Working for the Mouse, Trevor Allen's entertaining one man show about his experience working as a costumed character in Disneyland. Mr. Allen is a terrific mimic & actor. Wearing a Jiminy Cricket T-shirt, shorts & knee pads, he both narrates & acts out his story. He presents himself as an over-eager teenager, bitten by the theater bug, & he quickly got me identifying with his dream of being Peter Pan. The audience groaned along with his many setbacks, starting when a kid kicks him in the crotch on his 1st day out dressed as Pluto. We learn about employee shenanigans & uptight corporate policies, yet the show never explicitly disses Disney. I believed Mr. Allen's claim that all the stories are true, & he threw in a few asides that made me want to hear even more. He is such a genial performer that even during the black-outs he's bouncing up & down, like a boxer warming up for the next round. Besides being very funny, the show has moments of poignancy & an ending that feels tidy & complete.

§ Working for the Mouse
Written & performed by Trevor Allen
Directed by Nancy Carlin

EXIT Theatre
Friday, December 9, 2011 8pm