Review: THE ROOMMATE at Emerson Studio In The Loretto-Hilton Center

The Odd Couple meets Thelma & Louise in The Rep’s joyfully edgy production of The Roommate. Currently a smash on Broadway, director Rebekah Scallet’s interpretation of Jen Silverman’s dark comedy is a compelling rumination on friendship, aging, loneliness, parenthood and personal connection.

The Roommate marks a welcome return for the company’s Steve Woolf Studio Series. Presented in an intimate setting without intermission, the play centers on the complex dynamics between Sharon, a divorced woman who mostly putters around smalltown Iowa eking out a menial existence, and Robyn her carefree new boarder who has arrived from the Bronx to get away for a while.

The difference between the two could not be greater. Sharon, who is a bit of a fussbudget, is a “don’t” person, while Robyn is a break all the rules “do” person. This dichotomy causes all sorts of plot shake ups and surprise revelations as each woman’s personality archetype reverses, leading to a friendship that challenges societal norms.

As the drama unfolds, the two butt heads on nearly everything. Early on they have very little in common. However, as Sharon becomes more and more intrigued by her new roommate’s sketchy past she begins to come out of her shell and take life by the horns. Meanwhile, Robyn’s carefree lifestyle becomes more curtailed as she settles into Midwestern life.

The Roommate features an exceptional collaboration between the two leads. Kelly Weber and Nancy Bell work in symmetry as characters who inhabit shades of grey. Weber superbly transforms Sharon from a meek divorcee to a blithe spirit. Playing opposite of her is Nancy Bell, who brings the perfect balance of vulnerability and mystery to the prodigious Robyn, a spirited woman looking for a fresh start.

A drama of two women running from their pasts towards unexpected futures, The Roommate is a tantalizing, evocative and poignant production. The pacing never relents as secret after secret is exposed, ensnaring and captivating audiences as this adventure of self-discovery unfurls. Reinvention has never been this much fun!

The Roommate plays at the Emerson Studio in the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University through November 17th. For showtimes and more information, visit http://www.repstl.org  

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