My overall impression
There are so many good things happening in David Stolworthy’s Roommates that I don’t know where to begin – I liked the premise, I loved that the play centered on seeking acceptance into a community rather than forming a sexual identity, and I liked that homoerotic tendencies permeated almost every relationship, illustrating that sometimes straight people can really be the gayest…
The playwright does an outstanding job of creating characters that are distinctly different from one another, larger than life, and yet relatable; and the way they are juxtaposed creates numerous opportunities for zaniness to ensue! The jokes are fresh, funny, and fast, as both the playwright and actors easily capture the voice of modern teens.
A major shout out is owed to whoever chose the props, they were so character specific and the allusions had humorous and political implications – My personal favorite was Josh’s Chick-Fil-A bag.
The acting was universally solid; Stephanie Smarker expertly used her Amazonian height as a tool in her domination of the other characters, Adam Peltier was perfectly douchey, and Alicia Blalock’s second act meltdown was one of the funniest parts of the show.
While I saw the closing performance, I’m sure this is not the end of Roommates, and I am very excited to see how it evolves as the potential to delve even deeper is exponential.
