With my computer ready to begin the process of writing commentary on Anna LaMadrid’s new play, The Oxy Complex, I paused to google for information. The title of the show tends to be misleading. It is easy to mistake the infamous narcotic drug, Oxycontin, for the hormonal drug Oxytocin. Oxytocin is a drug that is an “important hormone {that} plays a crucial role in the childbirth process and also helps with male reproduction (Hormone Health Network).” Sometimes called the “cuddle” or “love,” the hormone helps trigger contractions during childbirth, as well as lactation after. And all this has a profound impact on emotions. And now we get down to it. Anna LaMadrid’s play swims in an ocean of female emotion centered around the fraught struggle to find and keep a romantic partner, a process that becomes more and more difficult as time goes by.
The Oxy Complex, essentially a dark comedy, is nonetheless a searing representation of female angst and romantic frustration. The show begins on the five-hundredth day of Covid lockdown, and her character suffers from isolation and lack of sleep. As the one-woman show progresses, Ms. LaMadrid takes on multiple characters going back and forth in time. Her setting is urban and smacks of New York City, which can be a cruelly lonely place very hard in which to find romance.
From time to time the playwright takes on the character of her immigrant mother who, as it turns out, has her own problems with Covid anxiety. Ms. LaMadrid appears from time to time as a lecturer, Dr. Oye Me, a know-it-all love expert who speaks with a British accent touting the necessity for the warmth of physical human contact. A savvy, foxy friend with dangling earrings and attractive décolletage who knows all the ins and outs of romance gives her own brand of advice. And then there is the bar scene with guys on the make who just want a quicky with a woman who has had way too much to drink. As a last resort, online dating proves to be a fraught proposition for those seeking a reasonably attractive man whom one hopes will not be an asshole. There are some hilarious moments in those scenes, as well as sad desperation.
The Oxy Complex is a superb dark comedy that touches the heart, at least it did for this theatre-goer who yearns for the elbow to elbow physical contact of a playhouse filled filled with theatre lovers. The next best thing? A loved one sitting next to you on the sofa with large screen showing a well-written and performed piece of solo art, to be followed by the three episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. We will survive!
The Oxy Complex, written and performed by Anna LaMadrid, is directed by Michelle Bossy, and produced by IAMA Theatre Company. The creative team for The Oxy Complex includes scenic and props designer Justin Huen, lighting designer R. S. Buck, sound designer John Nobori, and dialect coach Lauren Lovett-Cohen. Filming and post-production are by TAKE Creative. The stage manager is Camella Cooper and assistant stage manager is Rose Swaddling Krol. Tanny Jiraprapasuke is the COVID compliance officer. Lexi Sloan produces and Terry Li associate produces for IAMA Theatre Company.
The Oxy Complex, streams on demand March 21 through April 18. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.iamatheatre.com.
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