Dark comedy tells story of joys, terrors of starting over
Sarina Hart and Kara Bauer in “The Roommate” (Photo courtesy of Whitefish Theatre Co.)
The Whitefish Theatre Co. presents its first Black Curtain Theatre production of the 2019-2020 season with “The Roommate” at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish.
This “funny and beautiful story about the joys and the terrors of personal reinvention” has performances on Sept. 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Recently divorced and living in an old house in Iowa, Sharon needs to find a sensible roommate like herself — a woman in her 50s — to make ends meet. Robyn, a middle-aged woman from the Bronx who is looking for a chance to start over, seems to fit the bill. But as Sharon begins to uncover Robyn’s secrets, her own deep-seated desire to completely transform her own life becomes unleashed.
Called “an out and out laugh riot,” “The Roommate” is a dark comedy about a chance cohabitation that sets two lives spinning — and what happens when the wheels come off.
“We all reach a point in our lives where we question our life purpose and how relevant we truly are in the grand scheme of things,” says Director Erin Grayce. “You’ve come to the fork in the road and are unfocused as to how to proceed. This fear of change —— this clinging to what we know — only grows more daunting as we age and get more set in our ways. By the time we’re more than halfway through our lives, transformation feels impossible and overwhelming. ‘The Roommate,’ at its core, is about the fact that we can re-invent, re-imagine, begin again, at any age, and that the impulse for taking the first step can come from the most unlikely places.”
Cast members include Sarina Hart as Sharon, Kara Bauer as Robyn, and Lonnie Porro as Stage Direction Reader. Viewers are reminded that as a Black Curtain production, there will minimal staging, no set or props, and the actor will be reading from a script.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students with general seating. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office at 1 Central Avenue in Whitefish or by calling 862-5371. Box Office Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before a performance. Individual tickets can also be purchased online at www.whitefishtheatreco.org. For more information, call 862-5371. This show is sponsored by Med Wolfe and Steve Lull.