Bad with Money 2014

Ben Rimalower's addiction to spending beyond his means has driven him to extreme lengths all his life. In BAD WITH MONEY he charts his sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing struggle to overcome his problem- or get rich trying. Written and performed by Ben Rimalower and directed by Aaron Mark, BAD WITH MONEY premieres at The Duplex (61 Christopher Street at Seventh Avenue) from September 4 through November 6.

Rimalower's first solo show, the long-running hit Patti Issues, explored his obsession with Broadway diva Patti LuPone and his relationship with his troubled gay father. Bad with Money delves into even deeper personal territory with the story of his struggle with debt- a journey that takes him through drug addiction, prostitution, fraud and multiple betrayals.

In this gripping play-by-play of some his biggest mistakes and their consequences, Rimalower offers a no-holds-barred self-portrait of an addict, and casts light on one of the last societal taboos. "People tend to be familiar now with alcohol and drug abuse- and I've got those too," the writer-performer says. "But spending money I don't have is really my drug of choice. And considering how many people suffer from the same problem, it's staggering how seldom that is discussed."

When Ben's debut play Patti Issues opened in 2012, it became a must-see show in the downtown theater scene, ultimately running for 14 months and garnering praise from attendees such as Alan Cumming, Tony Kushner, Michael Kors, Justin Vivian Bond, Perez Hilton and Ms. LuPone herself. ("The show's fantastic," she said. "It's really wonderful. I was moved.") The New York Times praised Patti Issues for its "well-honed script with an engagingly spontaneous delivery and a nose for sharp, observational comedy." It was hailed as "endearing, drolly written and performed with heaps of charisma" (The New Yorker) and "meticulously scripted and executed, with poignant punch lines that deliver laughs, emotion and insight" (Time Out New York).

Rimalower has performed Patti Issues in Australia, Germany and Great Britain, as well as across the country in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Provincetown, Fire Island and more.