In “I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire,” a teenage girl’s obsession with celebrity fame and culture captures what 2004 was like, when Britney Spears ruled the charts and Spider-Man ruled the multiplex.
The dark comedy, written by Samantha Hurley and directed by Kasandra Partain, plays at Theatre on the Ridge in Paradise until Sept. 27.
Local theater maven Alyssa Jade plays 14-year-old Shelby Hinkley, a character she said fits her immersive approach to acting.
"I wear my heart on my sleeve, and when I love something, I really love something, so I will fully immerse myself in whatever project I'm doing at the time,” Jade said.
She adds the role to her extensive repertoire, having appeared in more than 20 productions since 2022.
In the original play, the lonesome Hinkley kidnaps Tobey Maguire, of Spider-Man fame, at the height of his superhero career to force him to marry her.
As Jade put it, the play offers “the biggest commentary you could imagine on parasocial relationships with celebrities and the idea of how far is too far.”
As Hinkley discovers that the person she idolized isn't who he seems, the story becomes a larger examination into the conflict between idealization and life's harsh reality
Gabriel Suddeth plays Tobey Maguire alongside Jade’s Hinkley.
“When you think of a character actor, you think of somebody who you know can just immediately envelop themselves into a character,” Jade said. “[Suddeth] embodies that completely, and it's very fun playing opposite him because I never know what to expect.”
"It is a love letter to pop culture, to parasociality, and I just think that if you are invested in pop culture at all, if you love nostalgia, you will absolutely love this show.”- Alyssa Jade, actor
Jade said playing the unhinged 14-year-old girl with nothing to lose was a challenge, but also extremely relatable.
“She’s deeply flawed and an inherently passionate individual, but I think everybody is gonna see something of themselves within her,” Jade said.
While some might relate to the complications with love and infatuation Hinkley has to navigate, others might find a stronger connection with its nod to the aughts.
“I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire,” is immersed in Y2K references and heavy with early-2000s nostalgia.
“It is a love letter to pop culture, to parasociality, and I just think that if you are invested in pop culture at all, if you love nostalgia, you will absolutely love this show,” Jade said.
You may even leave obsessed.
