UNDER ONE ROOF
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The desperate owners try hard, though. An egocentric young man promptly programs his new “roommate” to be a combination calendar/alarm clock/yes-man: “If I say, ‘I don’t feel well,’ you say, ‘Stay home from work then.’” A jealous brother directs his “mother” to love him more than his sibling. A dominating mother introduces her “son” to a horrified neighbor, saying, “He’s Kevin to me, even if he’s not. It’s so nice to have a man around the house.” When the visitor still insists on making a hasty exit, the mother calls after her, “I’ll put him away next time so you won’t be so nervous.”
The adage about being wary of wishes coming true holds, however, and the would-be Pygmalions discover that even with complete control nothing changes. A daughter whose “mother” is now all supportive permissiveness shouts at the silent mannequin to shut up, declaring, “You don’t control me anymore. I will not tolerate any interference in my life.” The dictatorial mother’s “son” still speaks rudely to her, making her so angry that she orders him never to speak again. A son wrestling with the question of his masculine identity looks to his “father” as an example. “This thing has too many complexities. What does it mean to be a man?” he asks. To which his “father” can only answer, “You’re a good boy.” Eventually the self-centered young man programs his “roommate” to kvetch at him occasionally. “Once a year I want you to say, ‘It’s obvious from your attitude that you don’t want me around here anymore.’” He ends up using his lifeless companion as a literal piece of furniture.
Page has considerately provided some inventive visual effects to alleviate 60 minutes of steady verbal impartation, beginning in blackout with his arms spinning like a Ferris wheel, flashlights strapped to his wrist, as they trace the scrim’s perimeter. At one point he lights his face from below with a red spotlight, and at another point wears a mask on the top of his head, positioning himself so that the impish face of the mask is turned toward us–a singularly grotesque sight; I defy anyone to remember a single word spoken during this sequence.
