Oddly
familiar
by
Michael Dresdner
The classic
comedy The Odd Couple is one of Neil Simon’s funniest and well-loved plays.
Lakewood Playhouse, through the efforts of a skilled director and polished
cast, presents a solid, entertaining production of this theatre standby.
Though
the basic story is widely known, in part because of the incredibly popular early
70s television series it spawned, I’ll give you a quick rundown. What is
unusual about the play (as opposed to the TV series) is that it loops on
itself; it ends up almost exactly where it started. Along the way it takes what
amounts to a short detour into a more-or-less disastrous experiment in combined
habitation.
Oscar is
the quintessential divorced slob who hosts the weekly buddies’ poker game in
his trash-strewn NYC apartment. When one player, his old pal Felix, shows up late
and depressed after being tossed out by his wife, Oscar invites him to live
there. Felix is Oscar’s polar opposite; organized, fastidious, thrifty, and at
least around women, rather timid. It’s tough blend, and it ultimately crashes
after Oscar invites their British-born neighbors, the Pigeon sisters, down for
a double date that goes horribly, but hilariously, wrong.
Ultimately,
Felix and Oscar dissolve the living arrangement, but manage to keep their
friendship intact. The upshot is that Felix learns to loosen up a bit, and
Oscar learns to clean up a bit. Through it all, even during their contentious
arguments, the lines come fast and funny.
Director
Steve Tarry has assembled a fine cast of very experienced actors who work
together well and know how to deliver comedy. Chris Cantrell is the cocksure,
blustery, Oscar to Jim Rogers’ surprisingly likeable Felix. The card playing
buddies include Murray the plodding cop (Jed Slaughter), the impatient Speed
(Gabriel McClelland), Oscar’s curmudgeonly accountant Roy (Joseph Grant), and Martin
Goldsmith as the meek, slightly henpecked, gentle Vinnie. The Pigeon sisters
are the well-paired duo of Kadi Burt as
Cecily and Palmer Scheutzow as Gwendolyn . (Yes, you are correct; Cecily and
Gwendolyn are the names of the two young women in The Importance of Being
Earnest.)
It’s not
without its quirks. Cantrell’s accent was, from the view of this expatriate New
Yorker, a bit odd, as was the intentional gape-mouth facial expression of
Slaughter, since his lines are not those of a dullard at all. Still, these are surely director’s or actor’s calls, and reflect personal style rather than
any important substance.
The
pacing starts a bit slow in act one, no doubt intentionally in order to express
the “same old, nothing ever changes here” feeling of the weekly card game, but
picks up decidedly during the more contentious and flirtatious act two.
Pay
special attention to the stage hands who come out in a very clever and funny
costumes in the act one scene change, and keep an eye on them in the act two
scene change as well when they “clear” the dining table. Rarely do you see a
scene change that’s as entertaining as the show, but both these are.
Costumes,
simple 70s period clothing, was ably done by Cyndi Hjembo, lighting by Daniel
Cole, and sound (including lots of period light jazz) was by John Burton. The
set (actually designed by John Munn) along with its painting, props, and set
dressing was fleshed out by Larry Hagerman, Carrie Foster, Jeffery Weaver, and
Hally Phillips.
I know
you are familiar with this play, and I know this is not going to present any
new story lines or plot twists, but it remains a very enjoyable light comedy. With
each new cast it becomes a new entertainment, and that’s certainly a strong
reason to keep going to see it.
The Odd
Couple
April 18
to May 11, 2014
Lakewood
Playhouse
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