On Theater: An odd couple for the corn belt in ‘The Roommate’

It’s one of the oldest plot devices in the theater — two individuals with widely divergent viewpoints thrust together to drive each other up the wall. It worked beautifully for Neil Simon (“The Odd Couple”) and Sam Shepard (“True West”), among dozens of others.

Now playwright Jen Silverman takes a crack at the genre from a female perspective in “The Roommate,” a dark comedy with an Iowa setting, currently occupying South Coast Repertory’s Julianne Argyros Stage under the penetratingly incisive direction of SCR co-founder Martin Benson.

Sharon is the more traditional of the pair, a conservative, almost naive Iowan (by way of nearby Illinois), divorced with a grown son she rarely connects with. To help out on expenses, she rents a room in her home to Robyn, a pot-smoking, vegan lesbian from the Bronx who’s lived outside the law for years and views Iowa as her informal witness protection program.

But instead of the expected clashes on lifestyle matters, the character difference proves magnetic as the reticent, innocent Sharon becomes drawn to Robyn’s more worldly pursuits and attempts to emulate her manner. So far, so good and so funny, but Silverman has set a trap for the relationship.

Linda Gehringer, a consummate actress with a career’s worth of SCR credits, is cast as the unworldly Sharon and turns in one of her finest performances. Giggly and fluttering, she beautifully plunges herself into uncharted waters with glee and abandon.

As the street-smart roommate who reluctantly instructs her woefully untutored pupil, Tessa Auberjonois presents a strong, solidly etched contrast. Her manner is short and abrupt, yet she can’t help but empathize with her hostess’ efforts to expand her horizons, however awkwardly.

The pair play out their charade on a properly well-worn Iowa vintage house setting designed by John Iacovelli. Brian Gale’s low-key lighting and Angela Balogh Calin’s simple costumes also assist in setting a Midwestern mood.

One area in which playwright Silverman encounters a snag is her ending. After such a bountiful exercise in wordplay from two highly skilled actresses, the upshot seems somewhat awkward and contrived.

“The Roommate” may be familiar in theme, but it’s fresh and vital in its presentation, a compelling production from South Coast Repertory.

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TOM TITUS reviews local theater.

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IF YOU GO

What: “The Roommate”

Where: South Coast Repertory’s Julianne Argyros Stage, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

When: 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2 and 7:45 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays until Jan.22

Cost: Tickets start at $22

Information: (714) 708-5555