A NoHo Arts theatre review of “Nursing Is My Life,” written and performed by Charley Karlotta, directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival.
When you find out what really happens in our nation’s hospitals and just how poorly the nurses are treated by the humongously over-bloated, profit-based all about the return to investors’ medical industry, it may make your blood boil…good thing there’s an RN in the building!
“Nursing is my life” is not exactly what you may expect though. Charley Karlotta entered the industry many years ago as it was either teaching or nursing or marriage…back when the nurses were paid about the same as the teachers, which was terrible then and terrible now. Charley wanted more from her life, she loved to entertain, but as a shy sweet daughter, she toed the line and became a nurse. And a very good one at that.
As she guides us through her life she sings. Songs adapted from classic familiar tunes, with the lyrics written by her to illustrate her frustrations with her life and those around her who seem to do nothing but make things worse.
It’s hilarious and very entertaining and she is accompanied by a rather adorable chap on a piano. It works beautifully!
“Nursing is My Life” is a funny, poignant show and Charley Karlotta is wonderful. Slightly dizzy, bright, heartfelt and highly intuitive, she talks about her experiences as a nurse in hospitals, clinics, retirement homes, psychiatric hospitals, surgery and just about everything in between. Honestly, I was shocked at how difficult a job it is. Not just the hours, but the injuries, the lack of support, even from other nurses. It’s like every day is “The Hunger Games” but with none of the accolades and more monsters.
I love this show. Sweetly wrought and cunningly subtle. Charley flits from job to job, motivation to motivation, marriage to divorce, nursing to dance teacher and even a very short career in real estate, something she was recommended to do by her Nursing union, not because she was a bad nurse, but because nursing is a bad job.
We all have stories to tell. How many of us pass each other in the street and never know anything about the other’s life? Who are they, where are they from, what do they want, who do they love? Solo shows are the perfect window into someone else’s world. So intimate and so worthwhile and a treasure of a thing that reminds us how similar we all are and how not much is more important than that.
When:
Saturday, June 18 at 8:15 PM
Sunday, June 26 at 1:30 PM
Where:
Zephyr Theatre
7456 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90046