‘Graduation Day’ Arrives With the Freshman Blues

“Graduation Day” is Nadia Lustman’s first play and has many of the faults of most first plays, in a production at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre.

There are awkward character transitions--transformations aren’t explained, they just happen in before-and-after jump cuts. Characters are thrown in for titillation factor. The bimbo neighbor, Desiree (Karen Kim), exists only to prance around in suggestive clothing and grope and be groped by her husband (Dallas Munroe).

Somehow, the main character, Yvette (Lustman), has had custody of her younger sister, Shannon (Carolyn Palmer), since their mother’s death. Unfortunately, Yvette was still a minor at that time, and there was a father still alive, leaving a lot of awkward legal questions unanswered.

Shannon’s sudden crush on her counselor Tobias (Jay Huguley) is not handled well, nor is the eventual, you-knew-it-was-coming romance between frigid Yvette and relaxed Tobias. And what exactly is the point of those pointed voice-overs about career women?

Direction by Marc Alvarado and Jeff Smith fails to illuminate the text or flesh out the characters. As for graduation day itself, it’s a minor deadline that offers some motivation to the characters but is mostly forgotten at the all-too-pat ending.

BE THERE

“Graduation Day,” Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Dark through Jan. 5. Then Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. $15 to $20. (323) 653-9998. Ends Jan. 22. Running time: 2 hours.