Lucy Komisar
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Even fine Farrow & LuPone can’t make “The Roommate” characters credible. “The Roommate.” In “The Roommate,” by playwright Jen Silverman, we are thrust into a mismatched living arrangement that teeters on the precipice of absurdity, leaving audiences questioning the credibility of its characters and narrative. Directed by Jack O’Brien, this production features the formidable talents of Patti LuPone as Robyn and Mia Farrow, splendid as Sharon, yet even their seasoned performances struggle against a script and mood that often feel more suited for a sitcom than a stage play.
Set against the backdrop of a big old house in Iowa City, the comedic contrasts between Robyn, a gritty New Yorker, and Sharon, a naïve Illinois native, are ripe for exploration. LuPone’s Robyn, draped in black tights and a garish striped jacket, exudes an aura of darkness and discontent. Her character, a former potter and slam poet re-quitting smoking, is a cacophony of contradictions—vegan yet cultivating marijuana plants in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Farrow’s Sharon, wide-eyed and bubbly with her blonde braids and denim attire, masterfully portrays the quintessential Midwestern innocence. (She is just divorced and needs the roommate’s rent money.) The juxtaposition is amusing, yet the reliance on location-based humor—jokes about tornadoes being no scarier than life in the Bronx, and the trivial distinctions between Iowa and Illinois—quickly grows stale.
As the plot unfolds, we encounter a series of increasingly implausible twists, including Sharon’s discovery of a box filled with drivers’ licenses bearing various names. The narrative spirals into a world of phone scams and corruption, a turn that feels forced and out of place. Sharon’s flirtation with the dark side —“There’s a great liberty in being bad!”— is a tantalizing notion, but it lacks the depth and nuance to resonate meaningfully. While the play attempts to touch on themes of identity and moral ambiguity, the execution leaves much to be desired. The dialogue, peppered with one-liners, occasionally sparkles—“Life is mostly about being charged the full amount”—yet it often feels like a collection of clichés rather than a cohesive exploration of complex characters. O’Brien’s hoaky direction doesn’t help. “The Roommate,” offers a few moments of levity and charm and the privilege of seeing Farrow and LuPone, but it is marred by a narrative that stretches the boundaries of believability. NOTE on Sunday after opening, Mia Farrow tested positive for Covid and Marsha Mason took her place. No information about when Farrow will return. The irony is that the person I first invited to the play cancelled the day before, because she got Covid! We need ventilators and masks! Do you know that speakers at the World Economic Forum have ventilators set up on stage next to them to move the mini airborne Covid aerosoles? Stop believing the government fakery that says Covid is over. It is not over! It is spiking all over the country. But Washington wants people to keep going to stores and restaurants and offices. People getting Covid and dying is collateral damage. Visit Lucy’s website http://thekomisarscoop.com/ |
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