An interesting story demonstrating two very different halves of society, hampered by an uneven pace between them.Rating
Ok
Across the world objects can get temporarily misplaced, or simply become lost and forgotten about, never reaching their intended destination. The same can be said about people, who can feel that their lives have become stuck in place, no matter how outwardly successful they appear. Stuck in Transit explores how, unlike objects, people can feel growing frustration at their circumstances, sometimes with tragic results.
Writer and director Mayuresh Mishra demonstrates the universality of these feelings, and the different approaches to addressing them, by showcasing the perspectives of characters from both extremes of the social divide. Fashion photographer Joyce (Biz Lyon) is in the process of moving out of one of the homes she owns with her ex-husband, oil company executive Chris (Mark Parsons), and is reluctantly meeting him to complete the paperwork to divide up their properties. Their outward success and wealth are in stark contrast to the destitute and lonely life of the cleaner (Pietro Cannizzaro), whose most important possession is a ragged sleeping bag. Yet whilst Chris becomes ever more bitter about his separation from Joyce, the cleaner maintains a cheerful façade as he works on the house; the two have very different responses to the stresses they face.
The parallel stories are an interesting exploration of similarities hidden within outward differences, so it is unfortunate that the time dedicated to telling each is unbalanced, as is the pace of their delivery. The 60-minute runtime is near evenly split between observing the mundane tasks of the cleaner and the lively battle of wills between Joyce and Chris, with the latter holding more interesting drama. Mishra’s script provides a believable range of emotions for Lyon and Parsons to engagingly bring the former partners to life, with different layers conveyed verbally and through subtle gestures. Chis may be proud, but he is also charming and generous, bringing both papers and breakfast, whilst Joyce holds a hint of lingering affection amidst the frustrations.
In contrast, the scenes with the cleaner are a more physical performance with a slower pace; firstly, ten minutes of him waking up and preparing to depart for work, and later ten minutes of him tidying the furniture and methodically sweeping and cleaning the floor. Whilst these slower scenes highlight both the menial nature of the labours and the impact of solitude on the cleaner, it is difficult for these activities to sustain interest for such an extended period. With no dialogue, Cannizzaro conveys a friendly and dedicated nature through movement and expressions. Dedicating this much runtime to these scenes is disproportionate to the amount of story they convey; reducing their length would tighten the pace of the play and still present the meaningful contrast between the two lifestyles in a balanced way.
The difference in character status is also highlighted by the costuming; the cleaner’s threadbare clothing and jumpsuit could not be more different from Chris’s blazer and pristine white shirt and Joyce’s colourful dress. Similarly, the sombre story also features some contrasting playful touches of surrealism. Bebe Abena Abban’s lighting and sound brings a range of energetic music to accompany the cleaner’s slow awakening, with his morning routine bathed in an action spotlight. Then, when one character finally gives into their baser emotions, the tech symbolically take on more animalistic characteristics to highlight their loss of control.
Whilst the individual elements of this play are thought-provoking and well performed, the collective story would greatly benefit by streamlining the pace and timings to maintain energy and engagement throughout events.
Written and Directed by Mayuresh Mishra
Lighting and sound by: Bebe Abena Abban
Produced by: Chauraha Theatre Group in collaboration with The French Broad
Stuck in Transit has completed its current run.
