With so much talk about mental health nowadays, a story like Stuck couldn’t be more timely. Playwright Jessica Goldberg captures the boredom, hopelessness, and lives left behind in small town America.
Lula (Mary-Clare Bone) and Margaritah (Michaela Leon) are close friends working a dead-end job at a video store in Middletown. Without much of a future before their eyes, all they can do is play games, drink beer, and smoke some colitas. Margaritah was married and had a baby called Olive, but her husband left them for someone else. Lula is single and on a dry spell. But suddenly, the stillness of their lives seem to change.
A strange guy comes into the video store, looking for a particular movie. His name is Jorge (Sebastian Senatore). He’s from Argentina, a peronista and a player. He invites Margaritah to go out on a date. She accepts and they end up having sex. Lula, in turn, hooks up with Charlie (Joshua Loren), the dad of one of her classmates. Just to paint a grimmer picture to Lula’s life, she also has an alcoholic mother (Stephanie Schultz) who refuses to go out; all she does is drink and watch TV. Unable to address the underlying issues affecting their lives, Margaritah and Lula are heading into a spiral of desperate actions to turn their lives around.
The play has some absurdist characteristics, like the peronista character Jorge, with the violent and revolutionary fame associated with them. and the little people that Margaritah and Lula claim to live inside them, people that have become evil according to Margaritah. These elements expand on the core themes of the story, exposing the lingering danger and mental health issues affecting the environment in which the characters live. Goldberg’s writing is exceptional in creating layers and connecting them cleverly.
The richness of the writing is translated into action effectively by the sharp direction of Amanda Bird. Her use of acting, lighting, stage design, and blocking is a titillating dramatization of the serious problems decimating our communities today: Depression, addiction, lack of opportunities, and mental health issues.
The lighting, created by Bird, creates depth and atmosphere, in cadence with the story and the characters. Any theatre student and professional designer should look at this production to see how to use your lights to create atmosphere and transitions as an aid in your storytelling.
Also worth noting is the use of music. In one of the scenes between Lula and Charlie, Willie Nelson’s “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” is played in the background. Subtle, but so powerful. Once you make the connection, the song has so much meaning, if you understand the lyrics and the connection to this story. The use of dirt, spread all over the stage, is also a symbolic and meaningful element, essential to the title and context of the play.
The acting, of course, is what brings the text alive. Schultz, as the alcoholic mom, exposes in visceral scenes the hopelessness of her character, ensuring the transmigration of her utter defeat to her daughter. Loren does his part as the cold and calculating older womanizer who sees the opportunity to take advantage of a woman as young as his daughter. Bird makes the smart decision of pairing up experienced thespians like Loren and Schultz with emerging talent as Bone, Leon, and Senatore. These three young actors show their commitment and dedication to the craft. They’re a new generation cutting their teeth in meaty and challenging plays like this one. Leon’s performance is brave and convincing, dissecting the complex layers of her character, showing her devastating journey to the bottom of the barrel.
By the way, as young as they are, Bone and Leon are the founders of Opia Theatre Company, a collective of playwrights, actors, and designers. They’re co-producers of this play. Amanda Bird, Founder and Artistic Director, along with Lynne Mannino, Co-Founder and Director of Development, are the creative forces behind The Nest, a nonprofit theater company and artist resource in Los Angeles, providing education, outreach, and resources to the artistic community.
Stuck is a poignant and relevant story. It’s thoughtful and fun at the same time. It has that raw and intimate feel that leaves a lasting impression. Make sure to check it out before it’s gone.
STUCK
Noisy Nest
148 S. Doheny Dr
Beverly Hills, 90211
Performance Dates: 05/08 – 05/23 at 8:00pm. (Thursdays-Saturdays).
Understudy performances: 05/15, 05/21
Tickets: thenestla.org/stuck
Written by: Jessica Goldberg
Directed by: Amanda Bird
Produced by: Opia Theatre Company, The Nest.
Cast: Mary-Clare Bone, Michaela Leon, Joshua Loren, Sebastian Senatore, Stephanie Schultz, Understudies: Olivia Garrity, Jemma Williamson, Devin Reeve, Tomas Francois, Rin Olsson.
Creative team: Set Design – Amanda Bird & Ashley Murray, Lead Builder – Ashley Murray, Sound Design – Jacob Rubino, Wardrobe + Prop Master – Amanda Bird, Intimacy Choreographer – Holly Hubbel, Graphic Design – Mary-Clare Bone, Stage Manager – Norah Triebitz.
