Young and talented actress Lilly Dennis takes to the stage in the one person show, Chocoholic, in LA. When I first heard of the show I was told it was a comedic piece on addiction and this comedic Australian actress had put together a humorous show about chocolate. Now while that is completely true, what I was not prepared for and what the rest of the audience was not prepared for was the heart stopping reality of this show. Based on a true story of an eighteen-year-old who married the love of her life, only to lose him shortly after to cancer and that chocolate is now how she deals with the loss of her addiction.
It is hard to admit to ourselves when we know we have lost something or someone forever. The ‘what if’s’ truly do kill you inside. This play takes a unique look at the meaning and different forms of addiction and why it even occurs in the first place. The show is set up like a court room drama, the audience is the jury and many different character witnesses are called to the stand to talk about the accused chocoholic who is on trial for consuming too much chocolate in one lifetime. The comedic setting takes a turn when it is darkly revealed the honest reason behind the addiction.
Lilly Denis performs on stage like she is completely at home. As if the world is her audience and she is showing us a window into the lives of the characters she portrays. This young actress has the ability to transfix an audience and I say that because that is the effect her performance had on me. The show was also directed by the famed theater director Debra DeLiso, who obviously directed this show to great heights of emotional depth and comedic intelligence. This is a must see show for all this year.