Review: David Dean Bottrell's DEAR MR. BOTTRELL, I CANNOT POSSIBLY ACCEPT THIS A Love Letter To The Art Of Storytelling

Since the beginning of time, mankind has told stories.  In the film As Good As It Gets, artist Simon Bishop references cavemen carving on walls.  In any format, in any age, there has been some form of storytelling and, today, the artform reaches out in so many directions that a mere meme on a Facebook page or a thirty second video on TikTok can be considered storytelling.  And there are many who do not know that there is a vast storytelling community in New York City and, indeed, around the globe.   Fans of the genre congregate in every type of venue, ranging from coffee shop to Town Hall, to see storytellers whose work they follow, to see group shows where they might discover a new artist, or to be exposed to a form of artistry they did not even know existed.  The storytelling community is a vital and valuable part of the show business industry, and it grows greater with every year.

And among the stellar storytellers of society, there is David Dean Bottrell.

Mr. Bottrell, an oft-engaged actor and writer with an enviable resume on both coasts of this country, made a big splash in New York last year with a long run of his show David Dean Bottrell MAKES LOVE - A ONE MAN SHOW, locking in a legion of fans who waited, patiently and with bated breath, for his latest outing.  With a wealth of material at his disposal, David Dean Bottrell did not disappoint, for David Dean Bottrell announced TWO shows for 2023.

On September 18th, David Dean Bottrell began his residency at Pangea, the warm and cozy restaurant located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a residency that would take him (nearly) to the end of the year.  Almost every Monday at 7 pm (there are nights off November 20th and December 11th), Mr. Bottrell is playing one of two shows.  The first of those shows is currently playing and the second will take its first bow next Monday, October 16th.  This past Monday, October 9th, this ever-so-grateful writer had a chance to check out DEAR MR. BOTTRELL, I CANNOT POSSIBLE ACCEPT THIS.  And when I say grateful, dear reader, I mean really and truly grateful.

It is one thing to see a show, a performance, a club act, a cabaret, a performer that entertains you.  It is quite another thing to see an artist that moves you, that inspires you, that makes you think.  That was the experience of seeing David Dean Bottrell in his DEAR MR. BOTTRELL show.  With a well balanced blending of theatricality and informality, David enters his playing area and spends some generous eighty minutes detailing a series of tales that, first, have you leaning in, listening, waiting to see where it's going, and, then, laughing, gasping even, as you wonder if it’s even possible, that of which he speaks, until, finally, you are nodding your head in agreement, and feeling the effect of his lessons learned in real time, now being passed on as either entertainment or parable.  It is storytelling structure studied and executed to perfection, and humanity, humorous and honest to its heartwarming core.  

They say you should write what you know, and therein lies the lynchpin to DDB’s storytelling success.  Each and every story being told in DEAR MR. BOTTRELL… originates from events happening in the gentleman’s life, be it a professional exchange between he and a high ranking New York theater professional, a holiday bloodbath between members of the immediate family, or some judgemental words from a high-falutin' doctor.  And with his well-stocked arsenal of personal histories, Thespianic panache, and impeccable syntax, Bottrell took Monday night’s Pangea audience down one garden path after another, the result being a crazy quilt of reactions ranging from (literal) howls of laughter to cries of disbelief, from sighs of empathy to hands thrown into the air, as, tale after tale, the gentleman drew the people nearer and dearer to his heart.  In these stories one might recognize characters the like of which one might find in a story by Truman Capote or a play by Mr.Tennessee Williams - but they are, in fact, the real-life people from David Dean Bottrell’s own journey to this moment, a fact validated by the genuine experience of watching his eyes brim with tears while hearing the sound of his voice box cloud over, during a particularly emotional recounting of one of those memories, memories that will remain undiscussed in this review.  It is essential that new audience members hear all of the stories, for the first time, in real-time.  It is paramount that the people sitting in the seats out front have no prior knowledge of what is to come, for the element of surprise is wildly important to a David Dean Bottrell story.  This writer can only confine himself to saying that Monday night Pangea was sold out, that Monday night the ovation was tumultuous, and that Monday night, the response was justified.  Even if it weren’t for the foundation of a right and proper script, even if it weren’t for his impishly expressive face, even if it weren’t for his to-the-last-detail comic timing, even if it weren’t for his voiceover-perfect narrative skills, David Dean Bottrell, the man, would still be adorable, would still have charisma, would still be relatable.  Fortunately for him and for his audience, he has all those elements, and he doesn’t know how to leave any off the stage when he enters the room.  With all of that power, there isn’t any way for the story to go wrong.  There is every evidence that when David Dean Bottrell opens THE DEATH OF ME YET next Monday (October 16th), the program will be just as exquisite, just as hilarious, just as accessible as DEAR MR. BOTTRELL I CANNOT POSSIBLY ACCEPT THIS.  But those who trust this reviewer would be wise to get themselves down to Pangea for this current show before it cycles out of rotation, and the fine folks at Pangea would be wise to consider asking David Dean Bottrell to put down roots in their club, permanently.  This is the residency the club and the club-goers need right now, and, maybe for the long haul.

For more information on the David Dean Bottrell Pangea residency and the schedule of appearances for both DEAR MR. BOTTRELL, I CANNOT POSSIBLY ACCEPT THIS and THE DEATH OF ME YET, visit the Pangea website HERE.

David Dean Bottrell has a website that can be accessed HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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