On a stage filled with props, Beth Dzuricky establishes three spots — center, left, right, in addition to one without props down front. In Bed, Beth, and Beyond, she uses them to span many places in which she lived, loved, sometimes languished, other times was let down, or left determined to lift herself up to a better level. Her story is long, yet so engaging, it seems to get to its end — the present — perhaps too soon. The youngest of six siblings, Beth Dzuricky was raised according to her neighborhood’s Eastern European immigrant customs and restrictions that certainly restricted her. Her major problems were a birthmark disfiguration all the way up one leg and being fat. These, she felt, made all in her family except her mother disregard anything good about her. They carried over to make problems for her in parochial school. Beth is very funny showing her imaginings of being connected to her first crush. Disappointment led to her taking up tennis and (watch her!) winning against a popular, good-looking gal. Using sports ability to get people to like her didn’t work any better in college, especially when she was on weed and had to perform a swim test as a graduation requirement. Her acting out, using her office-chair-on-wheels prop, a swim routine in a 40 ft.-deep pool is a comic gem. Post college, Beth moved to NYC to "live in her own apartment, be poor, drink soup, and get a job and boyfriend." What she did first was get into therapy, which kept childhood memories current. To “take one day at a time” was her therapist’s advice. The days she recalls were filled with selling hot dogs and gyros out of a cart, working in a restaurant, getting an illegal Ecuadorian for a boyfriend, and eventually marrying him. Mom didn’t recognize Beth’s marriage out of The Church, but loved her husband Alexandro when both parents met him. They became a family who socialized with friends. Details of the marriage, husband’s becoming a citizen, Mom getting sick and Beth having to go to care for her, and money problems increasing led to a crisis. Back in NYC: a divorce, Mom’s death, friends no longer friends. What else changed? Beth took an acting class, which brought her “Beyond” what went before. She ends, birthmark and fat notwithstanding, becoming the person she is today. The actress illustrates herself with happy comedy to hearty applause.
