The Stand (2019)

After years of living as an Actor/Comedian/Bartender in L.A, 35 year old Gary Lousier is pressured to move back home to his mother's house in Fresno, CA to get a "real job" and save money for a promising future. Once back in Fresno, Gary finds his old "gang" has grown up and has families and serious jobs. No one wants to play stick ball at the park, or drink beers on the train tracks, he finds himself going to bars alone and chasing women with mixed results. Gary attempts to enter the corporate world but in this competitive market and a struggling economy his headshot and resume open few doors. At interviews he relies on his bartending skills by telling off color jokes or offering cigarettes to potential employers. Frustrated and broke Gary's last resort is to open up his very own neighborhood "lemonade stand" (an illegal backyard bar) Gary constructs a classic plywood lemonade stand but models it after the L.A bar he worked at, complete with bar stools, tip bell, and back wall mirror. Gary then spends his days tending the stand offering sweet "lemonade", advice and jokes to a cast of characters who pass by throughout the day. Lemonade Stand is a comedic reflection of the bad economy and the trend of adults being forced back home to save money. The show offers a look and a voice of the lives of the people the working class don't see during the work hours, retires, off duty firemen, writers, and the unemployed. The message is clear times are tough and "Sometimes in life, you have to make a stand".