^(\w+)(?:(\s+))(?:\(|\(house\))(.+)\)$

script :
who.name.%1 = "%1"
who.name.%1.where = "%3"

who.name.nick

who.name ["nick"]

who.name ["the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"] = "hungrily"

[string "Trigger: "]:2: attempt to index field 'NameHere' (a string value)
stack traceback:
        [string "Trigger: "]:2: in main chunk

places["%2"] = places["%2"] or {}
places["%2"]["%1"] = true

function getPeopleInRoom(room_name)
  local t = {}
  if places[room_name] then
    for p,_ in pairs(places[room_name]) do
      table.insert(t, p)
    end
    return t
  end
  return nil
end

printRoom = function (room)
  local x = "" -- temporary variable x
  for i, n in ipairs (getPeopleInRoom (room)) do -- go through the names in the room
    x = x .. n -- add the name
    if i < #x then x = x .. " " end -- if it's not the end, add a space
  end -- for
  print (room .. " = " .. x)
end -- func

getPeopleInRoom = function (room_name)
  local t = {}
  if places[room_name] then
    for _,p in pairs(places[room_name]) do
      table.insert(t, p)
    end
    return t
  end
  return nil
end


printRoom = function (room)
  local x = "" -- temporary variable x
  for i, n in ipairs (getPeopleInRoom (room)) do -- go through the names in the room
    x = x .. n -- add the name
    if i < #x then x = x .. " " end -- if it's not the end, add a space
  end -- for
  print (room .. " = " .. x)
end -- func

places = {["Dark room."] = {"John", "Matt", "Jake"}}

printRoom("Dark room.")

Dark room. = John Matt Jake