“It’s Iowa!” is a phrase often uttered by Margaret Daly, the actress portraying Sharon in The Playhouse’s production of Jen Silverman’s The Roommate, which follows a woman who has recently opened her home to a new roommate — in the hopes of staving off an aggressive case of empty-nest syndrome. Sharon is the perfect stereotype of a Midwestern homemaker, even if she often insists that she is not from Iowa. Clad in slacks and sensible shoes, Sharon is a timid but curious woman in her mid-50s searching for new meaning and excitement in the wake of her recent divorce.
This excitement, she hopes, might be found in her new roommate, Robyn, a provocative and enthralling woman from the Bronx. Played energetically by Mary Jo Mecca, Robyn is an insouciant and mysterious new arrival to Iowa. What begins as a formal and uncertain relationship between the women quickly becomes an unexpected and exhilarating adventure as Sharon adapts to her new roommate’s unconventional lifestyle.
The title might lead one to believe that this is a classic story about a roommate who enters briskly and upends her housemate’s life. However, Silverman’s one-act exploration of middle-aged adventure focuses more largely on Sharon than her fascinating new roommate.
Ultimately, The Roommate is Sharon’s story. As a timid, sheltered and high-strung recent divorcée, the plot follows Sharon as she interacts with and learns from edgy New Yorker Robyn, who represents everything Sharon is not — but also everything she wants to be. As she uncovers less-than-legal activities from Robyn’s past, Robyn tries to hide from former indiscretions and move forward. But Sharon is inextricably drawn in.
Though it begins as a lighthearted story of two older women finding their independence, the story quickly takes a dark and comical turn that veers into a world of crime in which Sharon becomes entwined.
The Roommate makes a good effort at tackling dark comedy, and it gets off to a strong start. The opening scene that introduces us to the nervous Sharon during her first interactions with Robyn delivers some genuine laughs. However, as the play continues, the story ultimately becomes too improbable and settles into a dullness that leaves the audience less-than-sympathetic to the unfolding insanity on stage. Combined with slow set changes and an unlikely timeline of events, The Roommate fails to produce a deep connection with its audience and ultimately shifts from wickedly funny to predictably droll.
Highlights of the production include the set, designed by Anne Mundell, which operates like a perfect window into an early-’90s kitchen. Oak kitchen cabinets with large, white enamel knobs perfectly compliment a small, white two-door refrigerator and green Formica countertops. Firmly planted in the past, it’s as if Sharon’s life started and ended with this Iowan home.
The set gives us wonderful insight into Sharon and who she was before The Roommate: a routine, safe and meticulous mother who showered her family with attention in the hopes of receiving even a sliver in return.
However, outside of the kitchen itself, the set lacks focus and direction; at times it feels superfluous. In order to demonstrate the stark contrast of suburban Iowa to the Bronx, small cutouts of houses are asymmetrically lined up on the left and right sides of the set. Between scene changes the houses light up to indicate the passage of time as Sharon, and now Robyn’s, neighbors go about their days. Ultimately, this effect is disjointed and comes off careless, like it was added as an afterthought.
At one point during the show, Sharon remarks that, “Everybody just wants to burn it down and start over.” And though that phrase is almost wickedly relatable, Silverman’s characters fail to completely lean into the concept, which leaves the production feeling incomplete, despite the obvious talent of the actors on stage.
The Roommate runs through Oct. 21 at Playhouse in the Park. More info/tickets: cincyplay.com.
This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 3, 2018.