Heartwarming, sometimes funny story is about life in a senior living facility

By Lee Juillerat for Ashland.news

What’s it like to live in a senior living facility?

In “Ripcord,” a comedy about two older women who become roommates, their differing ideas create a sometimes laugh-filled, sometimes heartwarming tale of friendship and pleasure by two women with different of thoughts on how it should be done.

The production, which opens July 17 at the Rogue Theater Company’s Dick Hay Theater at the Grizzly Point Winery, is described as a “sharp, heartwarming comedy that follows two very different women who become unlikely roommates in a senior living facility,” according to RTC artistic director Jessica Sage.

The roommates are Abby, who is described as a “Fiercely independent and sharp-witted” woman who wants nothing more than her privacy. In contrast, “Marilyn is determined to bring a little sunshine into their shared space.”

Sage describes “Ripcord” as a “delightful, touching story about resilience, friendship, and the unexpected people who help us find joy.”

The play was chosen because, as Sage explains, “I was looking for something funny with strong female leads, and as soon as I read David Lindsay-Abaire’s ‘Ripcord,’ I knew we’d hit the nail on the head. It’s a sharp, heartfelt comedy that tackles aging, loss, and unexpected friendships with wit and warmth.”

The cast include Emilie Talbot as Abby. According to Sage, “Emilie brings a remarkable career to the table, including a season at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and has previously worked with both director Henry Woronicz and Nancy Carlin.”

Carlin is a San Francisco Bay Area favorite who plays Marilyn, a whose sunny optimism masks quiet strength.

“Nancy brings warmth, impeccable timing, and emotional depth to to everything she does, and I can’t wait for audience to see her shining in this role,” Sage said, adding, “The chemistry between these two actors – both deeply skilled, funny, and unafraid of emotional risk—is exactly what ‘Ripcord’ demands. Their interplay will be electric, and I’m excited for audiences to experience this roller coaster of a story between them.”

Sage also believes the entire cast is strong, explaining, “With Mark Bedard, Barret O’Brien, Jamie, Ann Romero, and Stephen Michael Spencer rounding out the cast, I feel like we hit the jackpot. And with Henry Woronicz directing, ‘Ripcord’ promises to be a gift for the actors (and) a thrill for our audience.”

Nancy Carlin, who plays Marilyn, is a former OSF actor who has performed extensively in regional theater productions. Carlin is also a theater arts lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley.

Other cast members include Mark Bedard, who plays multiple roles as Derek, Zombie Butler, and Masked Man; Stephen Michael Spencer as Scotty; Jamie Ann Romero as Colleen and Woman in White; and Barret O’Brien as Benjamin, Lewis, and Clown.

Woronicz, the play’s director, returns to RTC after directing the 2024 staged reading of “August: Osage County.” He is a nationally recognized actor, director, producer, and teacher and served as Artistic Director for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival from 1991-1995. His directing credits at OSF include “Hamlet,” “The Rehearsal,” “Pravda,” “The Glass Menagerie,” “Cymbeline,” “All’s Well That Ends Well,” and “La Bete,” among others.

He has also directed at the Utah, Alabama, Illinois, and Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festivals, Boston Shakespeare Company, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Meadow Brook Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, and Delaware Theatre Company.

Woronicz’s Broadway acting credits include Trebonious in “Julius Caesar” at the Belasco Theatre with Denzel Washington. He played many leading roles at OSF and the La Jolla Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, American Players Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, The Shakespeare Theatre, Center Stage, American Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, and the American Conservatory Theatre, among others. He has been a guest star on numerous television series, and was a featured actor in several films.

David Lindsay-Abaire is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and librettist. His most recent play, “Good People,” premiered on Broadway and was awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, The Horton Foote Prize, The Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, and two Tony nominations. The Theatre Communications Group named Lindsay-Abaire as the most produced playwright in America for the 2012-2013 season, and “Good People” as the most produced play. His previous play, “Rabbit Hole,” received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, five Tony nominations, and the Spirit of America Award.

He also wrote the book and lyrics for “Shrek the Musical,” which was nominated for eight Tonys, four Oliviers, a Grammy, and earned Lindsay-Abaire the Ed Kleban Award as America’s most promising musical theater lyricist. His other plays include “Fuddy Meers,” “Kimberly Akimbo,” “Wonder of the World,” and “A Devil Inside,” among others. In addition to his work in theater, his screen credits include his film adaptation of “Rabbit Hole” starring Nicole Kidman, who received an Oscar Nomination), and other films.

All performances are indoors at Grizzly Peak Winery at 1 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays from July 16 to August 3. Tickets are $40 or $45 at the door. Tickets for the July 16 preview performance are $30. Following the July 17 opening, a benefit for Planned Parenthood SW Oregon will include wine or sparkling water and a talkback with the director and actors. Tickets for the opening are $50 in advance or $55 at the door.

Other special events include Wine Wednesdays on July 23 and Aug. 3, Talkbacks Thursdays will be on July 17, 24, and 31, with Friend Fridays on July 18 and 25, Aug.1.

Tickets are non-refundable and may not be transferred to a different production. Tickets can be exchanged for another performance of “Ripcord,” subject to availability for a $5 fee per order, payable at check-in. People may also donate tickets back to the theater or transfer them to another person for a $5 fee per order, to be paid by the new ticket holder.

Attendees needing access seating should arrive at the winery by 12:10 p.m. and let the reception staff know when you check in. Note that the first row may be reserved as a donor benefit. Large print programs are available at each performance upon request. Grizzly Peak Winery is a mobility accessible venue.

Groups of five or more can be seated together by emailing [email protected].

Reviewers Have Praised “Ripcord”

Previous productions of “Ripcord” have received acclaim from reviewers, largely because of its script and dialogue.

Deadline described the play as, “A show to treasure…David Lindsay-Abaire’s ripping Ripcord is a deeply satisfying and vastly entertaining story of two elderly women thrown together by a comic cosmic force possessed of a wicked sense of humor…With Lindsay-Abaire—a shape-shifting writer of always humanist works—nothing ever happens merely for its own sake. There are deeper issues lurking below the comedic surface … that gradually build from belly laughs to something more emotionally nutritious.”

Likewise, the critic for Time Out New York wrote, “David Lindsay-Abaire’s tastily sweet-and-sour ‘Ripcord’ is great fun! … Solidly crafted, the play is larded with moments of surprise, both wacky and more substantial. When the play gets serious, it’s genuinely moving. Beyond the high jinks, Ripcord offers a compelling look at the pleasure of a challenge and the challenge of finding pleasure.”

Update (2:05 p.m. July 21): Nancy Carlin’s background has been updated.

Email freelance writer Lee Juillerat at [email protected].