Photo Credit | Kelsey Morris
The ATU Theatre Department performed their production of Ripcord, the 2016 comedy written by David Lindsay–Abaire, this past weekend. As an avid theatregoer and longtime theatre nerd, I knew I had to see this show as soon as I heard that it was being performed in Russellville.
Two elderly women who could not be more different reside in the same room in an assisted living facility. Abby (Natalie Canerday), an ill-tempered woman, and Marilyn (Holly Ruth Gale), her too-cheerful roommate do not get along. All Marilyn wants is for Abby to be her friend; Abby, however, longs for the day Marilyn moves out. The two make a bet that if Abby can make Marilyn angry, then Marilyn will move to a separate room downstairs. If Marilyn can scare Abby, she will allow Marilyn to have the bed nearest to the window. The pair torment each other and form an unlikely friendship along the way.
There are many things I could say about this show: that I did not stop laughing the entire time, that I found tears in my eyes at several moments, and that I could watch this show over and over again without getting bored of it. While I could say all these things with honesty, there is just one statement I will make: Ripcord is one of the best representations of the importance of human connection in media today.
While this show is listed as a comedy, it is much more than that. It is thought-provoking, insightful, and it explores the complexities of human connection and the transformative power of friendship. I got to watch the character of Abby make a drastic change in how she views others, specifically Marilyn, all in less than two hours. It was amazing getting to see how one character can experience so many things in such a short amount of time and use those experiences to alter her mindset and view on a person.
The characters of Abby and Marilyn are very well written, and I saw myself a lot in both of them. I am often short-tempered like Abby, but I can also be insanely optimistic like Marilyn. The two balance each other out perfectly and as time went on, they began to change and see things from the others’ perspective. This transformation was very important to me because I have always been a big advocate for others in the sense that you never know what experiences have shaped people to be who they are today. Abby and Marilyn are both very good examples of this as they both had different pasts and events that shaped their personalities into what they are today.
Ripcord had me leaving the theater with my face hurting and feelings of appreciation for my friends. While I was unfamiliar with the show before I watched it, I can say that it has resonated with me deeply and is one that I will remember for a long time to come.
