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Stuck

 

Off-Off-Broadway, Play

Runs through 2.21.10

The Clurman Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street


BOTTOM LINE: A mix of sound design and dramatic theater that goes into some dark territory.

I liked Stuck. The play revolves around two women in a depressed anywhere USA town who drink in the back if a car, work in a video store and have a sort of Waiting for Godot experience. Margaritah, Rita for short, has a baby named Olive and a husband who is not around. On the other side of the coin we have Lula who deals with her TV addicted, vodka drinking mother on a daily basis. Yes, as you guessed by the title... their lives are stuck.

All that seems to change when an Argentine gentleman enters the video store and invites Rita on a date. His personality seems to rub off on her and new ideas enter Rita’s mind. As for Lula, she has an experience with older man in town that makes art out of trash. Both of them begin to get ideas of how to become un-stuck. I won't say what happens from here, but it's an interesting story to see unfold and there is some fine acting done by this ensemble cast.

The sound design deserves a nod because it is a big part of the play and it is different from a lot of theater out there now. The play uses sound to give these characters a heightened reality. It serves the story well to underscore key moments in dialogue or action on stage. In some parts the sound and lights take center stage to accent what is going on with a particular character at a given moment. It gives each character a soundtrack that is almost primal at times to highlight their experience. There is a satisfying climax near the end of the show that I particularly appreciated. All of it adds a cool element to the overall experience of the story.

It’s a fairly short show that’s just less than 90 minutes long. Being staged inside The Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row does make for a nice experience and if this show sounds interesting to you, check it out.

(Stuck plays at The Clurman Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street, through February 21, 2010. Tickets are $18 and are available at ticketcentral.com or by calling 212-279-4200. For more show info visit stucktheplay.com.)