New York Review: “Unstuck” at The Tank
Max Berry, Contributing Critic - New York City
Written and performed by Olivia Levine, “Unstuck” is a one-woman show that follows her struggle with OCD and how it has affected the various aspects of her life. Told through personal stories, stand up, and movement, Levine crafts a heartfelt, funny, and honest play that doesn’t apologize and paints a picture of OCD beyond the stereotypical assumptions.
I very much enjoyed this piece. Right away Levine sets the mood by offering the audience oranges and asking us what we know about OCD. She uses her improv skills to play off of the audience in these moments and throughout to bring levity into some otherwise difficult topics. Though, despite the subject matter being difficult, Levine manages to tell them in such a way that the weight of the moments are felt but we are never crushed by them. She always brings us back with a lighter anecdote or a clever joke. Though, when the moments need to be felt she lets us sit with them and sits right there with us, the whole room participating in experiencing these difficult moments
You have to respect the bravery Levine shows in “Unstuck” not only are we getting an extremely personal story that at times makes her physically uncomfortable, but she shows us actual photos and videos of particular moments from her life that most people would be terrified to let an audience see. These moments were incredibly powerful because of how vulnerable they were. They were great examples of growth, literally seeing Levine in one moment from her past and in the present simultaneously.
Levine’s well-structured and funny writing really gets a chance to shine here. She takes us chronologically through her life as she struggles to understand her OCD as well as cope with all of the other forces of life and each moment flows naturally into the next. The use of her environment to display various aspects of her OCD was very effective. Using things such as an orange or a soccer ball, it made what could have easily been a very static work, more active. I especially enjoyed whenever Levine would bring out the microphone and quickly dart back and forth between using it and not using it to illustrate the intensity of the OCD.
“Unstuck” is a very honest play that breaks down society’s assumptions about OCD and tells a very real story of Levine’s personal journey with it. With clever writing and a great performance by Levine, I very much enjoyed it.
“Unstuck” was written and performed by Olivia Levine and directed by Molly Rose Heller.
With lighting design by Charlotte McPherson
Sound design by Margaret Montagna
It runs at the Tank (312 West 36th Street, New York, NY 10018) Jan 30-February 23rd.