A nanny's life A nanny's life (October 15, 2004)

'Living Out' explores plight of immigrants, working mothers

By Julie O'Shea

In "Living Out," which TheatreWorks opened at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts last weekend, playwright Lisa Loomer takes a fine-tooth comb to the ongoing struggles of immigrants, living and working in America.

While the subject matter is nothing new and the script's blunt approach sometimes seems more like a documentary than theater, Loomer's work is still hard-hitting and frustratingly tragic. And it is one of few shows performed locally that truly give a voice to underserved communities.

"Living Out" follows the story of a young Salvadoran mother named Ana (played to perfection by Isabelle S. Ortega) as she attempts to balance a demanding job with a hectic family life in East L.A. She goes from job interview to job interview, trying to land a nanny position in an affluent Santa Monica neighborhood but finds the door repeatedly slammed in her face when she reveals she has two children of her own.

As one wealthy mom puts it: "I need someone who can make my children a priority." Another argues that a nanny with children equals too many "sick" days.

It is only after she decides to conceal the truth about her sons that Ana is finally hired at $10 an hour by Nancy (Rebecca Dines), a high-powered entertainment attorney and first-time mother. This is pretty much the extent of the plot. Loomer, best known for writing the 1999 screenplay for "Girl, Interrupted," spends the rest of the show giving us a detailed look into the conflicting worlds of blue-collared Latinos and wealthy Anglos.

We get the distinct feeling that Ana and Nancy could have been friends in another life. Loomer hints at this possibility whenever she puts the two in the same room together. We see this connection in small gestures: a glance or a touch. And it's almost sad to realize friendship is not the bond Loomer is going to establish here.

Instead, the playwright lays the groundwork for another type of relationship. "Living Out" is packed with stereotypes, from the machismo of Ana's husband Bobby (Ed F. Martin) to Nancy questioning whether Ana received an education in her "village." (Ana quickly tells her boss that she came from the city and was studying to be a dentist before war broke out in El Salvador.)

The Latina nannies (the amusing Catalina Maynard and Yelba Osorio) bicker in the park about their "gringo" employers' annoying quirks and unrealistic demands, while the Anglo mommies (the shrill Suzanne Grodner and Cassie Beck) discuss yoga, the best-looking diaper bags and how to tell if a nanny is stealing from you.

Each set of women receives hearty laughs from the audience, as do the exchanges between Ana and Bobby and Nancy and her supportive, yet lonely, husband Robert (Jackson Davis.) Loomer, however, didn't mean for this to be a comedy; given its modern context, "Living Out" could be viewed as touching and sad rather than humorous.

The show calls for many rapid-fire scene changes, which director Armando Molina, using music and some unique staging techniques, delivers with ease. Scenic designer Eric E. Sinkkonen's minimalist kitchen setting also adds to this production. The stage's gaudy palm-tree side panels, on the other hand, should have been vetoed.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

Information

What: TheatreWorks presents "Living Out," by Lisa Loomer

Where: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St.

When: Tuesdays 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m.
Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. (8 p.m. only Oct. 9 and Oct. 30);
Sundays 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (2 p.m. only Oct. 24 and Oct. 31.) Closes Oct. 31.

Cost: $20-$50

Call: 903-6000 or visit theatreworks.org

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