The earliest incarnation of "Live Nude Girl" was envisioned as a one-woman play, featuring the talents of Monica Himmel.  The further she got into the writing, the more she realized she wanted it to be an ensemble piece, which she wrote and produced, to rave reviews and sold-out shows at The Lounge Theater in Los Angeles.  From the review by CURVEWIRE:

" 'Live Nude Girl' is the story of Deanna, a young woman who emerges from a childhood with an overly sincere father and a neurotic, actress mother. We meet Deanna with her clothes off; first as a model for a figure drawing class, holding her pose as erstwhile artists sketch her from a variety of angles. We learn through flashbacks that her life as a child was spent trying to deal with her parents fighting while she ran around in her underpants, seeking attention and mooning everyone . Seems this kid was destined to be shedding her threads. And shed her threads she does, right from the get go. It would be remiss not to say Himmel has a beautiful body. We first see her fully nude, her back to the audience, as she poses for a class. When she turns around, she has strategically placed black censorship bars over her breasts and groin. Himmel cultivates her laughs anywhere she can find them.

The play bounces back and forth in time as Deanna tries to support her acting career as a studio tour guide during the day and a figure model at night. It doesn’t take long for her to figure out that she can make real money posing on a pole in Vegas, enough money to support her career and finish her education. That’s right and you guessed it, Deanna heads for Vegas, and act two inhabits a strip club with a compendium of pole tricks and dressing room encounters.

This is where most plays would exploit the poor girl forced to take her clothes off, but where “Live Nude Girl” departs the usual form. What we get is an often hilarious look at the world of John’s and George’s. Want some special time with our heroine in a private booth? Just charge a thousands bucks onto your corporate Amex black card and get ready to party down. There is never a hint of the “poor me” mentality. What there is is the observation that pole dancing is like being an actor. You put on a costume, use a false name, and pretend to be attracted to every man you meet."

  Following the final show, she and the cast were invited to perform at the world-famous Upright Citizens Brigade in L.A.  The latest version of the play is 25 minutes long and features many of the original actors in expanded roles.  The show continues to evolve and will open again, Fall 2011. 

This special one-night performance is directed by Monica Himmel and features Charmain Crook, Ellen Dubin, Steve Gelder, Monica Himmel, Paul McKinney, Stacy Moseley, Lyn Ross, Ian Stanley and Yelba Zoe.

Tickets are only $5 for this once in a lifetime showcase!

http://losangeles.ucbtheatre.com/