Three flight attendants regretting their lives through drugs and comedy, a naïve high school student struggling through puberty, and a third rate hotel with sticky substances on the remote control... what could go wrong? "Mud Blue Sky" is a new work by Marisa Wegrzyn currently playing at the Road Theatre. The set up seems to be comical enough, and yet just enough is the overall tone of the play.

The story focuses on Beth (Carlyle King) who is a veteran flight attendant that regrets her situation in life and is contemplating retiring mainly due to an aching back and a life filled with regret. She is joined by Sam (Whitney Dylan), a younger flight attendant hoping to make the best out of the night with drinking and games, as well as Angie (Amy Tolsky) a past flight attendant, who now lives with her mother. All of the girls try to go out for a fun night, but when Beth turns in early and allows them to leave, the audience sees a shifty transaction between a tuxedo wearing teenager and Beth, which breaks the stasis for them all. 

Community theatre is a term often used largely to describe bad theatre, and as a critic of theatre I believe this to be a false notion. Community theatre is that which should be done most because it allows for struggling actors to practice their craft, earn a living, and entertain the masses who cannot afford the lavish and often grandiose theatre done by the larger names.

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This show is community theatre and is working toward perfection. The writing is contemporary to a great degree which makes it easy to understand, but at certain times slow and irrelevant. The direction (by Mary Lou Belli) did not seem to be a necessity in a small black box theatre since most of the show was performed standing by the wandering actors. The lead, Carlyle King, is an actress that works well with the company and the theatre. Adam Farabee plays the teenager extremely well, partly because he has a very youthful demeanor. Lastly, the actress that stands out is the flight attendant who quit, Angie, because in the performance she freely blends comedy and severity in a character that is affected greatly by both. This actress carries attention whether she is buying a joint, giving a monologue about the death of an old woman, or speaking to friends about her seemingly failed life. 

From a production stand point, the lighting (designed by Derrick McDaniel), sound (designed by David B. Marling), and set (designed by Stephen Gifford) carry out the development and necessity of the story. The set is well designed with the front of the stage designated for the street scenes, and the lights were practical and presented the story well. 

“Mud Blue Sky” is witty, with lines to be remembered, characters to connect with, and an experience to enjoy. Though the overall feeling of the play is nothing extraordinary, community theatre is a type of theatre that works harder than most other groups, and gets little to no recognition. Road Theatre carries a group of devoted actors and production artists and this show is a product of their devotion and love of the craft. 

"Mud Blue Sky" is playing at the Road Theatre (5108 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood) through May 30th. Tickets are $17.50-$35. For more information visit www.RoadTheatre.org. 

Contact the Contributor David Delgado here. 

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