ROOMMATES Makes New York City Debut

ROOMMATES, the first full-length play by Brooklyn playwright Darcy Cagen will have its NYC debut in the Lion Theatre at Theatre Row for a limited engagement - playing just three performances: Friday, August 2 at 8pm; Wednesday, August 7 at 2pm and Saturday, August 10 at 8pm.

Under the direction of veteran theatre director Cate Cammarata, this premiere production stars Olivia Buckley, Nancy Sinacori, G'Mario Charleston, *Mark Weatherup Jr., and *Gloria Sauve.

The production features set design, lights, and sound design by Christopher Stratis. Julia Flasphaler is the Production Stage Manager and Rose Tibbetts is the Casting Director.

ROOMMATES is about a devote Christian, Martha, who is forced to share a room with Florence, a provocative and eccentric Radcliffe alumna. They do everything in their power to get rid of one another, including shouting murder threats into a call device, but after bonding over their favorite fictional soap opera Blythe & Birdie, tensions melt and the two women open up about their failed careers, lost loves, and even a relationship with a certain Kennedy.

"My friend has this saying that, 'Our stories are heavier than stones, but you must carry them with you, and all you can do is hope that there are others who would like to share the burden with you,'" says the playwright. "To me, this is what ROOMMATES is ultimately about. These women have carried their stories with them for so long because they've had no one to share them with, and once they share them with each other, it's this cathartic release that allows them to move onto the next phase of their lives unburdened.

The playwright on lack of representation for the elderly: "I don't get why more people don't write about the older generation. They've lived a full life and have so much wisdom to share...plus they're downright hilarious! When I think about it, probably the only positive elderly representation I've seen is Grandpa Joe from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Annette Bening's character from 20th Century Women, which is partly why I decided to write ROOMMATES. It's rare to see a story where elderly people, especially elderly women, are at the forefront of the narrative instead of the B plot in some film where they play someone's Grandma in a nursing home and mumble a few words and then die. Elderly women deserve more than a few words: they deserve a whole dang play."

Darcy Cagen graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University in 2018 with a BA in Film Studies, and is currently working at an indie distribution company and has interned and volunteered at film festivals all over the world. "Film has been an instrumental influence to me as a playwright. I'm totally indebted to Ingmar Bergman, who inspired me to experiment with magical realism. I think there are some things in the world that can't be confined to language; to me that's the beauty of life, and I try to depict that as best as possible in my art." She's also an Associate Member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

Performances of ROOMMATES are on Friday, August 2 at 8pm; Wednesday, August 7 at 2pm and Saturday, August 10 at 8pm.

Tickets are $27.25 and can be purchase online through the Roommates Facebook page.

*Appearing Courtesy of Actors' Equity Association