(Above: Lisa Roth and Mary Buss are the actors in Oregon Contemporary Theatre’s production of The Roommate; photo courtesy of OCT)

By Randi Bjornstad

For those among you who know your way around cannabis, you may understand right off one critic’s reference to The Roommate, the latest production in Oregon Contermporary Theatre’s season: “Like a pot brownie … comfort food with a woozy twist.”

Everyone else will just have to go see it and figure out their own analogies.

Basically, The Roommate is pegged as a dramatic comedy by playwright Jen Silverman. OCT’s artistic director Craig Willis, who’s directing the show, describes it as “a comic drama with two powerhouse roles for women in their 50s.”

Think, some critics say, “of Thelma and Louise meets Breaking Bad.”

Here’s the plot: Sharon has lived in Iowa forever, an open, sensible type, age 54 and an empty nester. In order to help make ends meet, she decides to look for a roommate. In her search, Sharon comes across Robyn, who’s from the Bronx and anything but open, with decades of secrets that she’s tried hard to reveal. But Sharon, to whom truth is not only important but a curiosity, gradually ferrets it out. The resulting shakeup is described as both fascinating and shocking.

The women are played by OCT veteran actors Mary Buss and Lisa Roth. Buss last appeared at OCT four years ago. Roth last appeared a year ago, in Damascus.

The production team includes scene design by Steen V. Mitchell, sound by Olivia Cheser, costumes by Erin Wills, and lighting by Michael A. Peterson. Rebecca Blanchard is properties manager, and Christle O’Neill is production stage manager.

Playwright Silverman has an extensive résumé of scripts to her credit, and her plays have been produced throughout the United States as well as in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Spain, and China.

The Roommate

When: Preview performances Feb. 26 and 27; regular evening performances at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28-29, March 5-7, 12-14; matinee performances at 2 p.m. on Feb. 29 and March 8, 15

Where: Oregon Contemporary Theatre, 194 W. Broadway, Eugene

Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for students for preview performances (pay-what-you-can prices beginning at 6 p.m. before those shows); $40 all seats for opening night on Feb. 28; regular performances $20-42; student price $15 except opening night — available through the OCT box office, 541-465-1506, or online at octheatre.org