Farmington Players Open The Season With The Farce RIPCORD

Odd couple roommates at a retirement home make a bet to win the bed by the window, and shenanigans ensue. That's the gist of David Lindsay-Abaire's play "Ripcord," a comedy with a heart, opening Friday October 4th at the Farmington Players Barn in Farmington Hills. Tickets are available at the box office (248) 553-2955 or at www.farmingtonplayers.org

Abby Binder is on a mission to keep her double room at the senior center all to herself. When Marilyn Dunne gets assigned to share the space, Abby is determined to have her ousted. Marilyn insists nothing makes her angry, while Abby says she never gets scared. So Marilyn soon proposes a bet to win the bed with the beautiful view. If Abby can make Marilyn lose her temper, then Marilyn will move out, because she drives Abby crazy. But if Marilyn can somehow frighten Abby, then Marilyn wins the bed.

Margaret Gilkes of Farmington Hills (Abby) and Nancy Cooper of Farmington (Marilyn) are longtime Barn Members and two of the funniest people to ever perform on The Farmington Players Stage. Cooper's character "Marilyn" is like the "Oscar Madison" of this mismatched couple, and Cooper sees some of herself in the part. "I love how she uses humor to smooth over difficult situations and how she is willing to do some crazy things to win a bet and how deeply she loves her kids and grandkids," says Cooper.

The two "little old ladies" (one sweet, the other sour) wind up in a behavioral "free fall," repeatedly try to "one-up" each other like college roommates bickering over turf. They pull numerous gags and pranks (some quite cruel) and drag each other's family members into their "turf war," eventually, revealing each other's painful secrets.

However, their bitter battle ends up taking a terrific twist, as they "pull the ripcord" on their descent, slow down and confront their ghosts, revealing more about their motivations. This leads to a sweet and surprising "self-reckoning" scene, suggesting even in our "Golden Years," we can "soften" an otherwise hard landing by making good choices in life.

Margaret Gilkes loves the idea, that sometimes you just need to "stop and smell the roses." "I like that even as you grow older, you never stop growing as a person," says Gilkes. "Life can change on a dime and new friends are there even if you're not looking for them."

Tickets for Ripcord sponsored by Mall, Malisow & Conney, P.C. are available online at www.farmingtonplayers.org or by emailing boxoffice@farmingtonplayers.org or calling the Barn box office at 248-553-2955.