“The Roommate”

[rating=4] A little over a year ago, Steppenwolf Theatre did “The Roommate”, a 90 minute story about two women, who for reasons of their own, become “Roomies”. Jen Silverman is the playwright of this stunning little story about two women from different backgrounds, who have lived completely different lives, match up, become “friends ( loosely), and then allies. These two ladies are probably the most unlikely of matches one can imagine. The production at Steppenwolf was outstanding and I wondered how a suburban, in particular, Lake Forest suburban, could pull this off.

Let me tell you! To my surprise and my delight, Citadel’s Beth Wolf brought this wonderful story to the much more intimate space they occupy with two very talented women to bring these characters to life. I loved what they did. First of all, the set (Eric Luchen) looked far more expensive than one would expect in this venue. although of late, it seems Citadel’s sets are more creative than some of the larger theater’s in the area. Bravo! The action takes place in the kitchen/dining area of the home of  Sharon ( an incredible performance by Ellen Phelps). She is a long divorced mother of a son, who lives off in New York, who she has little contact with, and who may or may not be Gay. When she got divorced, she sort of retired “from life “. She has her book club and other lady friends, but for the most part a life that is routine and boring, plus her expenses have risen ( as much as the can in Iowa), so renting out a part of her home will help.

Today is move in day for this “roommate”, Robyn ( deftly handled by Laurie Carter Rose), who little by little we learn a great deal about. She is from New York, single ( but later we do find that she is a mother), and is a Vegan and as it turns out a Lesbian. She is much wilder than Sharon, but they seem to learn to get along and as the scenes carry us thru time, Robyn becomes a sort of mentor to her landlord/roommate, helping her to get a better understanding of life ( away from Iowa).

There are some mysteries that I will not divulge, as it would ruin the theatrical experience of this near perfect production. The two become involved in things that are part of the reason that Robyn has left New York and come to Iowa. We get to see a better side to Sharon and she comes out of her shell showing the beauty of what a solid friendship can bring to an individual. When Sharon reinvents herself to be more like her roommate, the fun begins. It turns out, she is pretty good at being someone other than who she has always been. That is all I will say about the events that will lead us to a conclusion that will not please, or satisfy, all of the audience members, but one that makes sense, for Sharon, For Robyn and certainly for Iowa.

This is considered a “dark comedy” about a person rerouting her life and the wheels come off. In some ways, Robyn also reroutes her life and changes from what was ,to what is ,and what can be. I suggest that you pay close attention to this one as you may see where the phrase “There is a little larceny in all of us” comes from ( and means)!

On the technical side, this production is flawless! Lilly Walls ( costumes), Mark Holley (props), Bob Boxer (sound), Marissa Geocaris (lighting) and Maureen Yasko (intimacy designer) all do a great job.The info as to who developed and found the music intervals/interludes is not in the program, and I do not recall these being exactly as the Steppenwolf production used, but will say, they are sheer perfection. Each scene change ( there are 11 in this 90 minutes, no intermission) of pure theatrical experience.

“The Roommate” will continue at Citadel Theatre located at 300 S. Waukegan Rd ( Route 43) in Lake Forest thru March 3rd with performances as follows:

Thursdays  7:30 p.m.

Fridays  8 p.m.

Saturdays  8 p.m.

Sundays  3 p.m.

Tickets range from $40- $5 ( well worth it) and can be purchased by calling 847-735-8554 ext 1 or online at www.citadeltheatre.org

There is plenty of free parking at the theater and every seat has a great view of the entire stage.

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “The Roommate”.