FOR THE ROOMMATE,
IT’S ULTIMATELY ABOUT THE CASTMATES
Take a big dose of Grace and Frankie, add a bit of Arsenic and Old Lace, and top it off with the magnificent Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone and you’ve got Jen Silverman’s The Roommate, a two-hander helmed by Jack O’Brien which opened last night at the Booth Theatre.
Farrow plays Sharon, a flaxen-haired innocent who has decided to take on a roommate in her Iowa City home to supplement her income after her divorce. The roommate she chooses is the flagrantly naughty Robyn, deliciously and sometimes poignantly portrayed by LuPone.
At first it seems the two women have nothing in common. Robyn is a vegan and a lesbian from the Bronx. She’s a former poet, potter and planter of “medicinal herbs.” Sharon trembles at the very thought of the “dangerous” Bronx.
But the women do have much in common. Both have testy relationships with their children, who live somewhere on the other side of telephone calls that are never answered. Sharon’s son has a lesbian girlfriend and “Everybody thinks he’s a homosexual, but he’s not.” LuPone’s daughter was at one time her business partner, but we’re never told exactly what happened to their relationship.
Both women are dissatisfied with their lives. Robyn has come west for a new start. Sharon maintains somewhat forlornly there’s lot of culture in her hometown, even though she has not been involved. And rather than showing any sign of disapproval, she is extremely curious about Robyn’s past.
That past is revealed so tantalizingly slowly and so late in this 100-minute dramedy it would be unfair to reveal its exact nature. Suffice it to say Robyn has made a living from taking advantage of people just like Sharon. Her revelations are life-changing for the formerly timid Sharon and in the end, somewhat frightening even for Robyn.
Bob Crowley’s set is a skeleton of the house surrounding the kitchen. A good deal of The Roommate’s plot is also skeletal. For much of the play Silverman sacrifices useful information and meaningful interaction for the quick joke. Indeed, much of the play is extremely funny. But toward the end, when things turn serious, we are not prepared by a solid knowledge of who these people really are.
That The Roommate is largely successful is due to the great synergy between real-life friends Farrow and LuPone. Neither of these icons tries to upstage the other. Their generosity is palpable. Their timing is perfect. Their performances will be remembered long after The Roommate is forgotten.
photos by Matthew Murphy
The Roommate
Booth Theatre, 222 W 45th St
100 minutes, no intermission
ends on December 15, 2024
for tickets, visit The Roommate Broadway