Let it be war. David Lindsay-Abaire’s new high-stakes comedy, Ripcord, follows a seemingly harmless bet made between two residents of the Bristol Place Assisted Living Facility. Cheerful Marilyn wants the bed next to the window, but crabby Abby wants her to move out. In a risky game of one-upmanship, this hilarious regional premiere will have you laughing, crying, and scared for everyone involved. Who will pull the cord first?
ABBY BINDER: 60s-80s. A resident of Bristol Place Senior Living Facility, she has successfully resisted all attempts to share her double room. Judgmental, short spoken, misanthropic and unsociable, she is a crisp, take-charge patrician woman with an acerbic wit. Nobody wants to be her roommate. Her snark and emotional remoteness is a defense against her pain of lifelong disappointment.
MARILYN DUNNE: 60s-80s. Abbey’s new roommate, she is an optimist looking for the good in everyone. She is infuriatingly chipper, impishly jovial, upbeat, endearing and trusting. She also has an underbelly of anger and is surprisingly determined and resourceful.
SCOTTY: 20s-30s. A residential aide at the Assisted Living Facility, he is kind, friendly, empathic, patient, honest and direct, with a good sense of humor. He genuinely cares for his residents and is perceptive in a street-smart way about their personalities. In his free time, he is an aspiring actor.
BENJAMIN/LEWIS/CLOWN: Late 30’s-40s. BENJAMIN is Abby's son. He is a former addict who has let down a lot of people in his past, and he is genuinely hoping to make amends and introduce his child to his mother. He’s been in and out of rehab before, so she will not let him off the hook easily. LEWIS is Marilyn's son, an enthusiastic skydiving instructor. The CLOWN is a scary demon clown in a haunted house.
COLLEEN/WOMAN IN WHITE: Late 30s-40s. COLLEEN is Marilyn's daughter. A quirky comic type, she’s competitive, a bit kooky and she’s game for anything, especially if her mother asks and needs her. She’s an open book. Very much her mother's daughter. WOMAN IN WHITE is a spooky haunted house character.
DEREK/ZOMBIE BUTLER: Late 30s-40s. DEREK is Colleen's husband; a quirky comic type, he is friendly and chipper, but a bit more cautious and practical than his wife, but always on board to help his mother-in-law. ZOMBIE BUTLER is the absurdly austere tour guide of the haunted house.
|