ROOMMATES

by William Ivor Fowkes

FULL-LENGTH PLAY (90 MINUTES). Graham Walker and Dan Carlsen, two best friends and lovers since college, struggle with their desire to be together in a world where marriage to women is the unquestioned norm, and the AIDS epidemic makes living out of the closet a frightening option. Their solution is to marry women, start families, and live as next-door neighbors while continuing their relationship in private...

FULL-LENGTH PLAY (90 MINUTES). Graham Walker and Dan Carlsen, two best friends and lovers since college, struggle with their desire to be together in a world where marriage to women is the unquestioned norm, and the AIDS epidemic makes living out of the closet a frightening option. Their solution is to marry women, start families, and live as next-door neighbors while continuing their relationship in private. This strategy works surprisingly well—until it doesn't. ROOMMATES takes place from 1971 to 1996, a period of sweeping social change.

ROOMMATES is a “standalone” play that may be performed on its own or together with the other two plays (MARRIAGE and AFTERMATH) that make up THE BRONXVILLE TRILOGY, or Marriages of Inconvenience. (ROOMMATES is the first play in the trilogy and includes a PROLOGUE when performed with the other two plays.)

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ROOMMATES

Character Information

  • Graham Walker
    Articulate and intense investment banker from Westport, CT.
    starts at 19; ages to 44
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Dan Carlsen
    Athletic and boyish lawyer from Fargo, ND.
    starts at 19; ages to 44
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Kitty Flemington Walker
    Attractive but shy book editor, then stay-at-home mom.
    Starts at 28; ages to 41
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • ACTOR #4: Debbie Klein Carlsen, Vita Sackville-West, Lipo Suction
    Debbie Klein Carlsen – Preppy, funny, and chatty advertising account exec, then stay-at-home mom.

    Vita Sackville-West - English poet, novelist, journalist, diarist, and member of the Bloomsbury Group.

    Lipo Suction - Drag queen (but played by a woman).
    Debbie Carlsen - Starts at 28, ages to 41; Vita Sackville-West - 45; Lip Suction - indeterminate
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    Debbie Carlsen & Vita Sackville-West - Female; Limo Suction - a drag queen (played by a woman)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • ACTOR #5: Richard Hamlin, Todd Wood, TV Announcer (Voice), Dr. Manzone
    Richard Hamlin – Flamboyant Yale professor.

    Todd Wood – Oversexed businessman from Dallas.

    TV Announcer (Voice)

    Doctor Manzone - Gay. Overworked.
    Richard Hamlin - 35; Todd Wood - 45; Dr. Manzone - 36
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • ACTOR #6 - Harold Nicolson, Walter Morgan, Seth Regan, Emcee (Voice), Maitre D'
    Harold Nicolson – English politician, diplomat, historian, biographer, diarist, and novelist. Married to Vita Sackville-West.

    Walter Morgan - Law professor.

    Seth Regan - Sly and promiscuous PR writer.

    Emcee (Voice)

    Maitre D’ – Solicitous.
    Harold Nicolson - 51; Walter Morgan - 37; Seth Regan - 30
    Any Race/Ethnicity
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male