Two Rooms

by Lee Blessing

A drama for 2 men and 2 women. The two rooms of the title are a windowless cubicle in Beirut where an American hostage is being held by Arab terrorists and a room in his home in the United States, which his wife has stripped of furniture so that, at least symbolically, she can share his ordeal. In fact the same room serves for both and is also the locale for imaginary conversations between the hostage and his wife, plus the setting for the real talks she has with a reporter and a State Department official. The former, an overly ambitious sort who hopes to develop the situation into a major personal accomplishment, tries to prod the wife into taking umbrage at what he labels government ineptitude and inaction, while the State Department representative is coolly efficient, and even dispassionate, in her attempt to treat the matter with professional detachment. It is her job to try to make the wife aware of the larger equation of which the taking of a hostage is only one element, but as the months inch by it becomes increasingly difficult to remain patient. The wife is finally goaded by unforeseen developments to speak out against government policy and, in so doing, triggers the tragic series of events that brings the play to its startling conclusion. In the end there are no winners, only losers, and the sense of futility and despair that comes when people of goodwill realize that logic, compassion and fairness have become meaningless when dealing with those who would commit such barbarous acts so willingly.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama

50 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

Reviews

[Lauren Merrifield · Rating 4 out of 5]

The play was very intriguing. It gripped me from the beginning and I was very interested to see how it would play out. It was also easy to read, which helped. The language was clear and natural. Their conversations felt realistic and their intentions were also pretty clear. It was also the perfect length. It only gave you the necessary information to push the story forward but it wasn’t too fast-paced. It gave the audience nuggets of information at the perfect time to keep us interested. I think it could work as a staged performance but it would have to be the right director. I don’t think all productions of this show would be good. There are a lot of monologues that would have to be directed well to make sure it’s not boring. I would also assume that the sets and costumes are extremely minimal which is another thing the actors wouldn’t be able to rely on to make the show interesting. The themes are very good and the lines are excellent but I think you’d have to be very intentional in bringing out the poignant moments.

[kayla michelle pisano ✮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This play further infuriated me about the state of the world. It's a wake-up call that a lot of us need, and this play is unfortunately timeless because our world is still at war, years and years later.
Is it too much to ask for, in the grand scheme of things called 2024 in America, for our hostages to be released and Palestine to be free?
I also feared getting into this play that it'd be some patriotic pro-Israeli govt BS (the GOVERNMENT, not the people) and it was not. But my heart hurts for every single civilian affected by this disaster. And our country stands by and lets it happen. America takes its own people hostage and massacres foreign innocents itself with where our government puts our money. A government made up of rotting people who won't be conscious or alive to see the outcomes of their decisions.
This play is, as you can tell by this rant, extremely relevant today.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Read” this play by watching an online live production by St. Ambrose University students. Does hope help when it’s a manipulation? When a situation is hopeless? When your husband is held hostage? When you know you will never see your wife’s toes again? The actors did great - masked and socially distanced. Suck it covid!

[Brandann Hill-Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful, with a lot of potential to be more so on stage.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first introduced to this play in my dramatic acting class where a classmate performs one of Michael Well's monologues, and was immediately drawn to this story.
In only 48 pages we glimpse into the lives of four individual characters - husband, wife, journalist, and State Department official, each with their own motive surrounding an American hostage imprisoned in Beirut. The play gives you a succinct, yet lasting glance into the lives of people affected by the capture, making you think a bit more about the human side of international politics.

Quotes that Linger in the Reader's Mind:
Michael, who is blindfolded:Some days I go around a room at home. Any room. Doesn't matter, they're all wonderlands compared to where I'm kept...I remember each day in my office - all of them. Cold days, wet days, days of incredible light.

Lainie:How do you want me to experience Michael? On the news? In the faces of all the sick human beings I've had to beg for his freedom? Holding hands with how many other helpless relatives? You're a great one to talk about illusions - that's your whole business. If I can have Michael - no matter how I do it - I'm going to have him. Do you understand?

Ellen:I wish I could take your pain away.
Lainie:I wish you could remember it.

[Geneva Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hesitate to call "Two Rooms" a love story, yet it's the relationship between husband and wife that compels the reader. One room is a windowless cubicle in which the character Michael is held hostage by Arab terrorists. Back in the US, Michael's wife Lainie has stripped his home office, covered the windows, and laid a bare mattress on the floor. Here Lainie and Michael speak to each other across a void of space and time. Separated by oceans, the two deal with political bullies at home and abroad. But Blessing keeps the narrative from spiraling into analytical abyss by grounding Lainie in her work as an ornithologist.

Lainie says her bird-watching teaches her. "I go down to the marsh a couple miles away, and . . . . Warblers, mostly. I'm working on them," she says. At the end of the play, Lainie tells Michael about her favorite bird. As Lainie describes the bird's nesting process, the two rooms in the play merge into one.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine play with interesting staging and very different characters. Its one most notable characteristic is that it was written over 20 years ago, yet still perfectly applies to the present day circumstances, often without even a name or location change. Two Rooms will unfortunately continue to be relevant as long as the Middle East remains volatile, which may be for a long time to come.

Blessing's play has a great arc, but never comes clear toward its true motives. There are romantic parts, yet they are overturned by the political portions following. The play encapsulates the conflicting interests of the family, media, and government, and just as in real life, it is difficult to see who wins and how they do so.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a class in theatre. It is a political play and I was hesitant to read it because, at this point in my life, I've little taste for politics, especially when it comes to the Middle East. I was, however, very pleased with the play and how it touched on the topic of terrorism and politics (which are about the same these days). It shows how people are used as pawns by the government, by the press, and by the terrorists as a means to an end completely regardless of how either the means or the end effects regular people. The government sacrifices people for policy. The press as a medium to sell a story. The terrorist to gain recognition for their cause. Overall, this is a very good play. Despite the time period it was written (1980s) its story is still very relevant today.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very powerful play. It had me choking up at parts, and I was straight up sobbing at the end. It's important to note that I was reading the script: these emotions were produced by the playwright's words alone. The only criticism I have is that there are a lot of very long monologues--though this could be a bigger issue reading the play than it would be watching a performance.

[Letitia · Rating 3 out of 5]

His most famous play, I believe. At times heart-wrenching, and I think at heart a tragic love-story, but fails to distinguish itself as such. Needs more surprises, more teeth, and a better reason for existing than Lee Blessing's scathing rebuke of the American government.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautifully-written play. complex characters in a realistically shitty situation.

blessing writes a mean monologue. a play that is this affecting and interesting is rare, and i would wholeheartedly recommend reading or seeing it if you get a chance

[Blake Norby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally read plays, but this was recommended to me and I read it in one sitting. How very poignant, how very real and dirty. It was just so right and so wow. I loved every second of reading it.

[Chuck O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Lee Blessing recognizes that political issues affect personal lives. This is a very moving play.

[Mac Colley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very moved by this play, especially with the current political conditions in the East. Black Box in April.

[Mariel Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great play- translates perfectly to today from yesteryear.

[Indira Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Might post my Journal essay, might not, just depends. Mostly on the grade I receive, lol.