Roller Kingdom
Roller Kingdom is an entertainment destination in the town of Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. In the early- to mid-1990s, Friday evening at the venue was designated “Metal Night,” and a colorful assortment of leather-clad teenagers descended on the place to hang out, harrass the DJ for not being metal enough, and to generally do anything other than skate.
In the Clarkwoods Literary Universe, the trio of Veronica, Desiree, and Amy gained notoriety as the centerpieces of the scene. Desiree, in particular, became infamous for the affections she would dole out to any and all comers for a carton of french fries from the snack bar.
Vern, Des, and Amy by E. Christopher Clark
Purpose / Function
According to the official website of the venue in The Real World, Roller Kingdom is “the best place for birthday parties, family fun, teen nights, scout and school parties, fundraisers, company outings and more.”
The main room of the venue is dominated by a hardwood skating surface lit from above by a bevy of multi-colored lights and the requisite disco ball. Beyond the rink itself, there is a snack bar and its surrounding booths, a small collection of video game arcade cabinets, and a small stage for karaoke and/or dancing.
The ultimate “purpose” of the place is really dependent on the person you ask. Some people, particularly those with young children, view it as a simple entertainment destination—a way to get their kiddos out of the house for the day. But for teenagers in the 90s without drivers licenses, it was even more important that—especially for those kids with overprotective parents. In their cases, because their parents viewed Roller Kingdom as a safe place, the venue became a first space to “rebel” (even if in a relatively controlled environment).
Future wives Veronica Silver and Desiree Emerson saw the venue as a safe space to begin exploring their feelings for each other, however fleetingly and tentatively—and without the other noticing, sadly. Their friend Amy also found Roller Kingdom a fascinating place, because boys there finally began to notice her—the shy flutist they never looked at twice in school. And she used this newfound attention to re-examine her feelings about herself, for better or worse. And those are just two examples.
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