Theater Review : Palacios’ One-Woman Show: Some Rambling ‘Confessions’

“I’m over 30 and life’s tough,” laments Monica Palacios in her new one-woman show. “But I’m still a racy chick. I ride the RTD . . . naked.”

“Confessions: A Sexplosion of Tantilizing Tales” promises plenty of racy revelations from Palacios, the self-described “Latin lezbo comic” who has made her Chicana and lesbian identities the focus of a promising performance career.

Yet the one-act piece, now at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica, seldom lives up to its tantalizing title. Palacios instead delivers a string of rambling and not-very-revealing erotic monologues presumably based on real life.

There are no hot jalapenos here, to paraphrase one of the show’s jokes--just lots of mild salsa.

Remarkably low-key for a stand-up comic, Palacios has an earthy, self-deprecating presence that serves her well as a storyteller.

Noting that doubters have wondered whether she really posed for the show’s sexy handbill photograph, she strips down to nothing but a black slip, a move that she says has “surprised friends and scared children.”

Palacios’ strongest material concerns life with her Latina lover, whom she calls her “wife . . . missus . . . the little woman.” She recounts a visit to a sex shop, where her partner’s professed embarrassment belied a strong desire to test the merchandise.

But most of the scenes remain flat and underdeveloped. A great opportunity for satire is missed during a bit about a combination jazz lounge and women’s health clinic, “where you can hear your favorite show tunes and get a pap smear at the same time.” The setup has no punch line, as Palacios merely launches into a fairly straightforward lounge medley and forgets the part about the health clinic.

A tale about lust between two prospective roommates might have worked if acted out, but Palacios has unwisely chosen to read the text at a podium while photographs and slogans are projected on a nearby slide screen. The result is a static and overlong narrative that seems to devour a disproportionately large share of stage time.

No director is credited, which probably explains the show’s lack of focus and momentum. Yet a bigger problem is that Palacios the writer has not done justice to Palacios the performer.

These “Confessions” are, alas, only skin-deep.

* “Confessions: A Sexplosion of Tantilizing Tales,” Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8:30 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Ends Sept. 25. $12. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 25 minutes.