The Roommate (Broadway)

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

Sharon (Mia Farrow) has been living a rather quiet life in her big house in Iowa. Divorced from her husband and with her son residing somewhere far away, her life tends to revolve around the daily mundane routine she keeps as a person living solo. Enter Robyn (Patti Lupone), the new roommate who responds to her call for a room to lease. Unlike Sharon, Robyn is mysterious and edgy, hailing from The Bronx and moving to Iowa City for reasons that she does not seem to want to share with her new landlord. Soon, Robyn encourages Sharon to get out of her shell, convincing her to go out and date guys, smoke marijuana she herself has cultivated, etc. A friendship develops, even though they don’t want to admit it. When Robyn finally lets Sharon in on her dirty little secret, she thinks she would be shunned and chased out of the house. Surprisingly, her landlord appears too eager to try it out herself.

This is my third Lupone Broadway show to date. The first one was War Paint; the second, her Tony-winning turn in Company. Both were musicals, and both showcased that golden singing voice of hers that has turned her into the Broadway legend that she is. And so, for a change it is nice to see her in a play where she does not sing a single bar or note. In The Roommate, Lupone need not be a triple threat, just plain acting, which has been a good opportunity to see whether she has anything more to offer other than her vocals. Lucky for me, I was not disappointed because she can’t just act, she also has the charisma and stage presence to match.

As for Farrow, I must admit that I am not familiar with her work. I do know that she starred in Rosemary’s Baby in the late 60’s, but I haven’t seen that film either. While her rapport with Lupone onstage cannot be denied, and could even be argued as the main driving force of the play which is that of the duo playing off each other’s energy, her Sharon ends up being the more enjoyable of the two. It probably has something to do with the character’s demeanor, being offbeat yet with a more positive outlook in life, not afraid of opening up to new experiences. This, as opposed to Lupone’s Robyn who is more brooding, sarcastic, and dark.

That is, perhaps, what makes the play work, though. With just two actors onstage, rapport is important but one character also needs to balance the other in terms of personality. Having two characters with the same personality would be a big bore to the audience. The contrasts between Robyn and Sharon are what really makes this play fun to watch. I don’t know if it is just me but one thing I liked about their characters’ journey was the reversal in the end. Sharon starts off as cautious and suspicious, only to end up more adventurous. For Robyn, it is the opposite. In the end, nothing that their backstories could not justify.

The premise, of course, is just too simple and the show itself is nothing to write home about. If you have ever had a roommate at one point in your life, there is always that curiosity with regards to their life story. What do they do? Where did they come from? Why are they here? Are you going to be friends or will you end up killing each other? This storyline has been rehashed over and over again on TV, film, and theater. Sometimes we are tempted to ask why, although we clearly know that it must have something to do with relatability given the commonality of such a setup everywhere in the world.

Overall, The Roommate is nothing spectacular but benefits mainly from the humor of its script as well as the chemistry between its lead actresses. If you are a fan of either Lupone or Farrow or both, then this play will make you appreciate them more, seeing them in something light that just allows them to have fun with the characters they are playing.