Permission to Start Over

The Roommate

A pair of very talented Chicago actresses absolutely own the stage in Citadel’s excellent continuation of their sixteenth season. Ellen Phelps and Laurie Carter Rose star in Jen Silverman’s two-hander about a couple of middle-age women, each from very different backgrounds, who are about to share a house together in Iowa City. Sharon, a 55-year-old divorced empty nester, decided that her roomy, two-story house is big enough for another inhabitant. After she placed an ad for a roommate, it was answered by Robyn, a woman about the same age, who’s decided to leave her Bronx home for the peace and quiet of rural Iowa. What evolves throughout this entertaining one-act is a powerful character study of two women who are each searching for a new beginning. 

This enthralling, often amusing new play premiered at the Humana Festival in Louisville four years ago. It was greeted there as a refreshing twist on Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple,” while sensitively addressing some of the problems faced today by women of a certain age. In Citadel’s well-paced production, expertly guided by guest director Beth Wolf, secrets are divulged, tensions mount and the stakes are raised. The story nicely plays out on Eric Luchen’s beautiful, meticulously detailed and realistic scenic design, where you can even smell the coffee brewing.

Silverman’s comic drama is a fascinating tale, laced with humor and full of heart. It focuses upon the close relationship that develops between two very different women from disparate backgrounds. The small, personal moments that Silverman creates break through in this production with subtlety and a kind of gentle energy, under Ms. Wolf’s skillful direction.

The excellent performances delivered by two of Chicago’s finest actresses cannot be overstated. Ellen Phelps, a familiar face to Citadel audiences, honestly and effortlessly plays Sharon, a divorced, conservative Iowa housewife and mother. This empty nester has decided to enter a new phase of life by becoming a landlord, offering an affordable room to another single woman “in her sunset years.” Answering Sharon’s ad is Robyn, a strong, somewhat quiet woman from New York. She’s played to perfection by the magnificent Laurie Carter Rose, who may be remembered from last year’s production of “Light Up the Sky.” From Robyn’s initial over-the-phone introduction, the two women seemed to have much in common, but Sharon soon discovers that her first impression couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Robyn’s a little reticent when she first arrives, especially when Sharon begins battering her with questions about her past. Her cryptic answers create a woman of mystery, at least to Sharon. However, like an onion, her layers are gradually peeled away throughout the next 90 minutes, eventually revealing many facets of a strong, unique and very enterprising woman. Eventually, Robyn exposes Sharon to an exciting, new life that she never expected to experience. As the cautious, conservative Iowa housewife begins to swing further to the left she discovers within herself a new Sharon that she never expected.

The lives of middle-aged women is a subject seldom dealt with on the stage until lately. Jen Silverman’s one-act is interesting, in that respect. Ms.Wolf’s production never shies away from the issues facing older women who are traveling solo down life’s path. But the play itself, while fascinating and humorous, tends also to be episodic and somewhat predictable. Each short scene signals the passage of time, allows the actresses an opportunity to explore a new topic, followed by an interlude in which to change costumes and introduce new props. Unfortunately, this makes the play choppy and uneven. It also feels gimmicky because we know we’re in for some new revelation or surprising information about Sharon or Robyn’s past. It doesn’t come as much of a shock when steadfast Sharon decides to burst out of her cocoon and become a butterfly under Robyn’s coaching. It’s only when the Iowan hausfrau crosses the line that the adventure abruptly ends. The final moments of the play, however, suggest that Sharon’s new lifestyle might continue, even if Robyn is no longer by her side.

This is a refreshing and eye-opening new play that sheds light on the lives of two diverse, middle-aged women. Jen Silverman’s one-act, while formatted like a sitcom, offers an entertaining, often whimsical journey of self discovery for two fascinating characters. Beth Wolf’s production is further enhanced by a beautifully detailed scenic design that provides a realistic background upon which these characters can tell their story. The performances by both Ellen Phelps and Laurie Carter Rose are especially strong, spicy and honest, reminding us that we all need to give ourselves permission to start over every so often.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented February 1-March 3 by Citadel Theatre, 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, IL.

Tickets are available by calling the box office at 847-735-8554 or by going to www.citadeltheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.