Living Out

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Poignant, searing, extraordinarily funny with crisp biting lines, two cultures collide in the cradle of two working mothers in Lisa Loomer’s new play Living Out currently turning The Space Theatre on its head for the Denver Center Theatre Company’s first play of the season.

(Left to Right) Socorro Santiago as Zoila Tezo, Romi Dias as Ana Hernandez and Gabriella Cavallero as Sandra Zavala in the Denver Center Theatre Company production of Living Out. Photo by Terry Shapiro

Nancy Robin (Maketa Spielman) and her husband Richard (Christopher Burns) are lawyers in Southern California. In trepidation, Nancy prepares to return to work after the birth of her daughter Jenna, who is now three months old. Richard makes it clear he doesn’t think she should return so soon. In spite of the fact, Nancy obviously torn between work and mother hood, nervously spins her wheels over the desire to return to her office.

Magnificently performed by a highly polished cast, Living Out, directed by Wendy C. Goldberg, explores two highly inflamed subjects: childcare and immigration.

On a clever set designed by Lisa M. Orzolek, the two subjects leap from politically correct, or incorrect as the case may be, discussions to the lives of human beings struggling to come to grips with their reality. While politicians currently wrestle over the highly spiked emotional issue of immigration talking out of both sides of their mouths. On the one hand, yes indeed, something has to be done on a drastic measure to stop the onslaught of people from other countries creeping, crawling, jumping, running the borders to get into the U.S. On the other hand, there is the recognition that at this point in time and history a large part of our economy depends upon these people to do jobs no upstanding American will consider, working for lower than minimum wage because they aren’t exactly in a position to protest. If we didn’t have these people available, many businesses would be forced out of business.

What if the issues all of a sudden have faces that laugh, cry, tease, joke, and eyes to look into revealing the truth they are human wanting only what everyone else wants: the right to live, to work, to claim decent living conditions, to put clothes on their backs and food on the table. What then?

That’s where Living Out hits us all right between the eyes.

With a nervous professional demeanor, Nancy interviews a series of nannies for Jenna. How she hates the term Nanny, but no title quite fits what she wants to convey.

A barrage of questions flies out of her mouth in machine gun order. Do you believe in spanking? Accompanied by several what it questions. This prospective Nanny must know how to handle all types of situations with babies, but definitely must not have children of her own. Nancy expresses no desire to compete for time, energy or emotion on someone else’s child.

Ana Hernandez (Romi Dias) desperate for a job makes quick adjustments learning how to lie. She and her husband have brought their youngest son from San Salvador, desperate for jobs to save money to apply for their Green Card to bring their older son to live with them. Ana tells Nancy both her sons are still in San Salvador. Desperate for the job, Ana jumps hoops to quiet Nancy’s qualms.

The ingenious set, designed by Lisa M. Orzolek, provides living space for the Hernandez family and the Robins, frequently sharing the same space as the two couples fidget their way through their tensions and obstacles demonstrating what they want is exactly the same thing.

Bobby Hernandez (Rey Lucas) wants exactly what Richard wants: his wife home, his wife waiting on him, his wife cooking for him, his wife available to take care of their children, his wife there to keep him company. The only thing that really separates these four is their income: the haves and have-nots.

Ana’s lie to Nancy creates frustrated tension between her and Bobby, putting an extra burden on him to pick up the young boy after school, take him to soccer practice, missing work, and he finally has opportunity for a full-time job.

A bench appearing from under the stage takes the focus to the park. Wallace Breyer (Lanie MacEwan) and Linda Billings Farzam (Kathleen McCall) fill Nancy’s mind with severe precautions about nannies that can’t be trusted. Nancy’s staccato paranoia careens out of control. She buys a nanny-cam strategically placed inside a bear, She humorously leaves money on the counter to tempt Ana because all nannies steal, the two insist. Some of the money does disappear, but it isn’t Ana who takes it.

At the park, Ana connects with Zoita Tezo (Socorro Santiago) and Sandra Zavata (Gabriella Cavaltero) who are very funny, very honest, very real, who know how to play the game, maintaining their dignity as human beings with sharp, gnawing, rough around the edges humor.

In separate worlds, the direction has Richard and Bobby sitting in the same sofa watching a Lakers game in their separated communities, demonstrating again and again human beings are human beings no matter where they come from, or what they do.

When tragedy strikes at the end of the play, one of the most poignant moments comes when Ana and Nancy sit side by side on the same bed talking to each other across the cultural worlds over the phone. Lies perpetuating lies, heartbreak perpetuating heartbreak, and when the two could stand together, the two stand further apart than ever.

Living Out had its world premiere at the Mark Tabor last year in Los Angeles, moving to New York in October. Mind tingling, thought provoking, hailing comedy as its real down to earth hook into human nature filled to the gills with prejudiced biases from the rich and the poor grabbing us where we all live whether we want to admit it or not. The characters so richly endowed with honesty, real life conversation and mannerisms. These are people we see everyday in the parks, at the grocery store, in the theatre, which is where the humor comes from. It is ours.

In the second act, the deceptions, desire for survival and tragedy strike us across the face as piercingly as the humor tickles the ribs.

There are the bored rich women who have no interest in connecting with their children, but whoever does had best mind their P’s and Q’s in the most stringent manner.

The issues may become confused, but this exquisite cast of talented actors will see to it the characters will never be forgotten.

Timing for this production falls into the realm of perfection, just before election. Living Out puts a face to where garbled words have only lived.

Definitely not to be missed.