Jessica Goldberg’s Brilliant “Stuck” is an Honest Gut-Punch to the American Dream. Not to be Missed.
Lula (Mary-Clare Bone) comforts, yet again, her agoraphobic Mother (Stephanie Schultz) in Jessica Goldberg’s masterpiece, “Stuck” at The Noisy Nest.
The Opia Theatre Company had better start adding some extra chairs to The Noisy Nest space on S. Doheny for their current production of Stuck, a dark, funny, and often relatable late-1990s urban masterpiece by Jessica Goldberg, now through May 23rd.
Shrouded in darkness, Stuck is a grimy, bleak blend of River’s Edge and Heavenly Creatures, with a splash of SubUrbia, set to the late-90s growls of Courtney Love. Dripping in Love Connection and talk show television, while reeking of PBR and (be aware) herbal cigarette smoke, Stuck presents a world familiar to many of us—and it’s a world in desperate need of a makeover. What’s worse is this town is boring and bad for one’s health: mental, physical, and otherwise. It is suffocating the people with factories and poisonous smoke, and as we later learn, it was settled atop thousands of dead Indians murdered by the US government. Perhaps it’s not a town at all, but an ideal-turned-nightmare, because what we witness in Stuck can only be described as a disturbingly honest and often brutally hilarious gut punch to the American dream. Much like the pointed refrain of the late-90s bar anthem Closing Time suggests, "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." We never do find out exactly where Stuck sprouts its small-town doldrums, but wherever “here” is, I wouldn't want to stay there either.
Upon entering the space, you are immediately immersed in the world of our two heroines, Lula (Mary-Clare Bone) and Margaritah (Michaela Leon), who are listening to tunes while smoking and drinking in the cramped, claustrophobic darkness, which is nearly completely covered in actual dirt. Strewn throughout the space are various set pieces: a bed, a couch, a TV, and a myriad of VHS cassette tapes. Like many standard nineties stories, a good portion of Stuck takes place in a video store where the two young women work. Also present in the space, kept under a pink blanketed basket, is Margaritah's infant daughter, Olive. Through finely crafted, often stinging dialogue and exquisitely sculpted characters, we learn the depths of just how miserable this little town is. What's keeping Lula and Margaritah alive, however, are the dreams and desires to break out and leave the small town for brighter pastures. Like most small-town yarns, however, that is easier said than done. Lula’s agoraphobic mother (Stephanie Schultz) and Margaritah's child, Olive, manifest the worst type of inertia, seemingly holding the two in place with no escape and adding poison to the mental tangling of our two heroines.
Lula (Mary-Clare Bone) comforts Margaritah (Michaela Leon) and her infant daughter, Olive in Jessica Goldberg’s “Stuck.”
Enter Jorge (Sebastian Senatore), a vaguely mysterious, seemingly wealthy stranger from Argentina who drives fancy cars and quickly wins (or manipulates) the heart of Margaritah, opening the possibility for her to make a run for it. But these two young women are a team, and where one goes, the other is sure to follow—or at least make plans to do so. On her end, Lula meets the much older Charlie (Joshua Loren), a local dad-turned-drinker from San Francisco who turns trash into art. Over several beers in the local bar, Charlie stokes not only the flame between Lula and himself but also plants the seeds of a freer life in San Francisco—and the truth about Jorge, whose identity is rooted more in fascism than freedom. The story continues to unwind in the most disturbing ways possible. As Lula and Margaritah’s manic mental states clash, just like Masha and Irina in Chekhov’s Three Sisters, these two are not going to Moscow, they’re not going to San Francisco, and they're not going to Argentina; they’re not going anywhere.
Michaela Leon’s Margaritah is a disturbing, brilliantly played rats nest of mental cruelty, surrounding unwanted motherhood, substance abuse and unrealized dreams, while Mary-Clare Bone’s relatable and likable Lula adds empathy and honesty to this bitter stew. We end up rooting for her as she battles her alcoholic, fear-mongering mother, played by Stephanie Schultz (we have all met this woman before, and Schultz plays her to the hilt). Sebastian Senatore’s Jorge does well in a difficult task, playing a manipulative yet beige character while keeping all the strings invisible. Joshua Loren’s charming Charlie is the hero here, offering not only the info that changes the direction of the play but also the only glimmer of hope in this battle-drawn American town, where the truth lies just below the dirt.
This story might not be new, but what team Stuck and director, Amanda Bird have created, is a spellbinding world; boasting some of the best performances you’re going to see on a Los Angeles stage. Through all of its dirt and grime, Stuck offers sublime, naturalistic acting which rings so true, that even if one must crane a bit to catch some of the dialogue, it’s worth it. I can't remember the last time I saw a production that utilized tennis court seating, let alone so effectively, but this production is a more-than-fine example of how it’s done. The entire space, in fact, resembles what could have been witnessed in the Lower East Side of New York City in the late 90s. Everything about Stuck screams, “find a space and make art here.” Make art is exactly what The Opia Theatre Company has done. For lovers of gritty, solid, and often stingingly funny acting and writing, Stuck is an intensely pleasing package deal, even if one needs to go home for a long hot shower directly afterward. Stuck is not to be missed.
Stuck plays through May 23rd, at The Nest, 148 S. Doheny Dr. Directed by Amanda Bird, Produced by The Nest. I arrived early for parking purposes but was happy to find much available parking on the side streets off of Wilshire.