Dirty Girl
Written by Ronnie Koenig
Directed by Robert W. McMaster
The Kraine Theater
85 East 4th Street
212-868-4444

Review by Gena Hymowech

Dirty Girl is the fictionalized story of Ronnie Koenig’s experiences at famed skin publication Playgirl. Koenig, who wrote and stars in the production, plays her own alter ego, Dori Richter, who comes across an editorial position in the want ads that requires the applicant to “be comfortable with male nudity.” Turns out it’s a writing job for porn publication Loverboy. And while some socially conscious writers would pass up such a prospect, Dori eagerly applies.

Skin Deep: Ronnie Koenig lands a job at a Playgirl-esque nudie magazine in Dirty Girl.

But once she gets the job, Dori stumbles into some problems: Her boss is a drug addict, and her boyfriend, who wants to run for president, worries that his girlfriend’s job as a creator of smut will harm his political aspirations. Dori’s biggest concern, though, is that she wants her magazine to be a feminist publication, while it only seems to appeal to gay men. 

It’s difficult to sympathize with a character who writes off her core readership on the basis of sexual orientation. Alhough Richter isn’t particularly homophobic, she — and Koenig — come across as somewhat ignorant to the struggles of gay culture. This naiveté, along with Dirty Girl’s one-dimensional characters, translate into a frustrating story. Yet despite its flaws, the play manages to occasionally charm. Jesse Teeters, who plays Dori’s boyfriend, is a real find — a natural comedian, who doesn’t have to say a word to make you laugh. (Pay attention, Lorne Michaels; this guy would make great SNL material.) And Koenig herself is extremely engaging — cute, intelligent and bubblier than a glass of champagne. This dirty girl’s not a bad writer either: The play moves fast, has its share of laughs and manages, here and there, to challenge the conservative view of pornography. You just have to take the show with a grain of salt, like you would, say, a nudie magazine.