The Roommate

Sharon, a housewife, 50-something, recently divorced, anxious empty-nester, has some trepidation when she advertises for a roommate to share her large home in Iowa City. After all, she’s never had a roommate before. Her alarm increases when she discovers that her new roommate, Robyn, is a pot-smoking vegetarian lesbian from the Bronx, who arrives with a box full of clay voodoo dolls. Robyn, a former entrepreneur and scam artist, 50-something, flees to Iowa, looking to get a fresh start, find some peace and quiet, and prove to her estranged daughter that she can turn her life around. She, in turn, is alarmed to find in Sharon a nosy and persistent new friend who discovers her secrets….notably her secret stash of fake I.D.s and former identities. Fascinated, Sharon convinces an unwilling Robyn to school her in the art of the telephone scam, and blossoms as she discovers her persuasive powers to fool and beguile even the members of her local book group. For a busy, idyllic time, the two women enjoy a friendship while raking in the cash. But when their connection deepens into an attraction, Robyn must make a choice to keep them both safe….. Jen Silverman’s poignant, hilarious one-act The Roommate is a powerful story about personal transformation, life transitions, love, friendship, and identity.