L’dor v’dor, from one generation to the next, is such an integral theme in Judaism. We name our children after esteemed relatives and ancestors. We light a yahrzeit candle five times a year, and we tell over stories of our ancient forebears at our seder tables annually. And yet, many families seek assisted living spaces for their aging relatives.
Playwright David Linsday-Abaire has written a funny, thoughtful play about the intersecting lives of two female roommates and their families that illustrates the depth of these ties that bind. Ripcord goes well beyond the expected petty grievances and necessary accommodations of two seniors forced to share space.
Phil Johnson, Artistic Director and co-founder of The Roustabouts Theatre Company, brought this play to Scripps Ranch Theatre, where it opened on October 8th. Johnson also started the Great Jewish American Playwright Series/Plays at the JCC. He is very excited about bringing a new Roustabouts program to stage. Young Roustabouts consists of one-off seminars to train theatre youth in acting and musical performance. The children are selected from the actor conservatory, drawing from all over San Diego County. Gifted teachers provide instruction for these fortunate future thespians.
Ripcord boasts a cast of seasoned actors who are not only incredibly well chosen for their craft, but their authenticity and emotional changeability. Abby Binder (Linda Libby) and Marilyn Dunn (Eileen Bowman) occupy the same room at an assisted living facility. Abby is resentful as she has lived there longer and has often enjoyed a solo room. Her somewhat taciturn, biting humor and cynical sensibility is in direct opposition to the sunny, loquacious Marilyn, who wants to effuse about….well just about everything. She is sociable, enjoys hobbies and makes herself a popular resident with the staff and other seniors. And as much as she attempts to befriend Abby, Abby is hell bent on getting rid of her.
Scotty (John DeCarlo), navigates his relationship with the two women, bantering with Marilyn playfully, and alternately cajoling and gently rebuking Abby for her off-putting demeanor. He hopes the women will become friends, so he is encouraged when they appear to be moving in that direction. Little does he know that their detente is based on a bet!
Family figures prominently, and from Marilyn’s delight in her grandson’s fingerpainting, to her exuberant daughter, Colleen (Samantha Ginn) and son-in-law, Derek (Matthew Javier), it is apparent that this apple has not fallen far from the tree. Colleen is energetic, loud, and lacks any understanding of “personal space.” Derek, at a lower decibel, is equally supportive of Marilyn. This tight-knit tribe positively irritates Abby, who refuses to divulge anything about her own family.
The competition between the two women reaches a fevered pitch before the tug-of-war resolves. In the intervening scenes, the audience observes the chinks in the armor both roommates are experiencing. Both Libby and Bowman demonstrate extreme skill at revealing every genuine human emotion from giddiness to victory to fear and devastation. A late appearance by Benjamin (Eddy Lukovic) rounds out the cast and adds layers to Lindsay-Abaire’s story.
The playwright’s characters reveal the depth and ferocity of the loving connection that flows both ways between generations. Despite everything there is an abiding electrical current that maintains an open circuit spanning the years. The bonding not only occurs within the family itself, but also in the function. While motherhood may be fraught at times, it would seem that grandmothers can form an immediate bond with each other, when gushing over the object of their nachas. David Lindsay-Abair’s Ripcord is a tender show with many comic moments and brilliant acting.
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Eva Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in the coverage of the arts.
