“Ripcord” at the Rogue Theater Company

The basic plot is simple, if contrived. Two older women share a room in an assisted living facility. Abby (Emilie Talbot) cannot afford a private room but she really wants to have the room alone so she has driven away many roommates with her nastiness in an attempt to get solo occupancy. Marilyn (Nancy Carlin) is the new roommate whose natural reaction to everything is positive, although she doesn’t want to give into Abby’s suggestion that she move into an available lower-floor room that has an inferior view.

In one of their early arguments Marilyn claims that nothing makes her angry while Abby claims that nothing frightens her. Then, under the cover of a bet, Marilyn sets out to frighten Abby while Abby tries to anger Marilyn. If Abby wins, Marilyn moves out; if Marilyn wins Abby has to give up her window by the bed so Marilyn has the better view.

This dynamic opens up a treasure chest of fun vignettes as we learn the outrageous things the women do to each other in order to win the bet. The back and forth is clever, engaging, and outrageous.

Abby posts a Craigslist listing saying that Marilyn wants to give away a house full of items, and Marilyn’s phone rings off the hook with would-be recipients. Abby then leaves a false message with the building staff claiming she is Marilyn’s daughter Colleen (Jamie Ann Romero) and saying she will visit the next day. She wants Marilyn to get angrily disappointed about being deceived about the daughter’s supposed visit.

Marilyn doesn’t get angry at the Craigslist post nor is she disappointed when her daughter doesn’t show up on time to take her out to lunch. That’s because Marilyn had phoned her daughter to confirm that the lunch date was a set up, and then daughter and her husband actually do show up after being delayed in traffic.

The improbable acts next include Marilyn and her family taking Abby out in their family’s sky-diving plane and pushing her out the plane for a tandem parachute jump to get her frightened. The dialogue in this scene includes mention of a ripcord, giving the play its name.

Abby denies feeling fearful, and the tit-for-tat antics continue.

The actors playing the leading women are perfect. They are always believable, even with the over-the-top scenarios. Each woman has been around and shows determination by reacting in the style that works for them. Abby is always suspicious and critical. She disparages everyone, including Scotty (Stephen Michael Spencer), the even-tempered and helpful room attendant.  Marilyn, on the other hand, is positive and forgiving, even when you learn some of the terrible things done to her in the past and see what Abby is doing in the present.

The cavalcade of challenges are designed to be improbable and enjoyable. But, you notice how Abby’s attitude increases her loneliness and incompleteness. Meanwhile Marilyn has family and lopsided support from Scotty and the other staff.

Marilyn’s style produces love and comfort. Abby’s does not. It’s hard to watch Ripcord and not feel that you’re learning the better way to act in life. Be antagonistic like Marilyn and you live apart and bitter. Be a forgiving Abby and you’re surrounded by invitations and love.

Fortunately, your outlook and style can change.

Emotions intensify when Marilyn invites Abby’s estranged adult son Benjamin (Barret O’Brien) to visit his mother without telling Abby. The interaction between Abby and Benjamin is in character for her and also revelatory. The follow-on actions by both Marilyn and Abby have them working together a bit, despite some lingering attempts to frighten and anger.

Soon the bet is called off, confessions made, and steps to friendship taken… even though a small bet may still be made. You feel like the women understand each other and also understand why they’ve acted as they have.

All of this farce and potential meaning would be a mess if the cast were less wonderful. Scotty, Marilyn’s skydiving daughter, son-in-law Derek (Mark Bedard), Benjamin, and most of all Marilyn and Abby have real character. They are also cheeky enough to make the unrealistic bets seem real enough to move the story forward… while the antics are bonkers enough to keep us giggling.

There is one disconnect in Scotty. He’s played with flaming gay gestures and manners, but the storyline keeps coming back to his interest in dating a women in the building’s administrative office. I was puzzled about what they’d do if they went out together.

But, that was a small glitch in a performance that left us laughing and thinking. The good stagecraft made me not notice the folding-chair seating with sometimes bad sightlines of Rogue Theater Company’s winery stage. The simple set and lighting were perfect, and the costumes and hair fit the characters 100%

The only truly bad thing about RTC’s Ripcord is its short run. Three weekends is not enough for a performance this good.

Ripcord jumps out as a five-star production!