Hollywood, Nebraska by Kenneth Jones [Alabama Story, et al.] is a work-in-progress currently on stage at the Wetumpka Depot as part of a "Rolling World Premiere"; this is the latest revision of a script that has been in development at various locations, and produced in Tennessee and Iowa before coming here.
It recounts the story of two women who escaped their stultifying middle-American small town in quest of successful acting careers -- one in Los Angeles, and one in New York -- and who have now returned to their Nebraska roots where their values and life choices are challenged.
Jane [Elizabeth Bowles] comes back from New York out of concern for Alma [Angie Mitchell], her Mother who she suspects has dementia; Andrea [Leslie Blackwell] returns from New York to settle her family's estate after a parent's death. -- But neither of them is in the best emotional state, and when each forms an attachment with a local man, things get complicated.
Robert [Douglas Mitchell], a contractor and neighbor of Alma's does a lot of odd jobs and house repairs for her without charging a fee, causing Jane to suspect his motives and her Mother's preferential treatment of him, no matter how attracted to him she appears; and Andrea's more casual hook-up with Robert's buddy Lance [Jay Russell] seems destined for failure. Robert's teenaged daughter Katie [Drewe-Victoria Rowell] is a starry-eyed "actress" who asks both of the returnees for coaching, and we see how the women diverge in both acting techniques and in life.
Director Cushing Phillips has a talented six-member acting ensemble at his disposal, whose naturalistic performances and speech enhance the production most of the time. We engage with them as they navigate relationships and predictable circumstances, even as they succumb to making rash judgements they might later regret. -- But, a number of scenes have an indulgently slow pace that cry out for variety. -- And, while the playwright seems to favor Jane's predicament, a more equal balance of attention to Andrea's plight could benefit both the plot and the performances.
There are some important themes in Hollywood, Nebraska that are addressed: dreams and aspirations, self-awareness, family secrets and skeletons, long-held rivalries, social equality for women, trust, and home town values all get their due. -- And though not everything has been resolved by the end, Mr. Jones's non-judgmental attitude about his characters, allows audiences to engage with them and draw their own conclusions.
