'The Odd Couple': Little Theatre To Present Neil Simon Comedy

Greenwood Little Theatre is set to present the Neil Simon classic comedy “The Odd Couple.”

The play is directed by Will Perkins and Katie Acosta, who will also perform in the show.

Perkins said the theme of Simon’s play highlights the endurance of friendship.

“It’s the enduring foundation of relationships and friendships that is always there, even if the walls crack,” said Perkins.

Performances of “The Odd Couple” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27. The show will be held at GLT’s new venue, the Davis Elementary School auditorium.

“The Odd Couple” premiered on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre in March 1965. Mike Nichols directed the play, and the cast starred Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison and Art Carney as Felix Unger.

“The Odd Couple” won Tony Awards for Best Actor, Best Author, Best Direction of a Play, and Best Scenic Design and was nominated for Best Play.

“It is about two friends who couldn’t be more different,” said Perkins. “One is a slob; one is a neat freak and very organized and regimented. Through a series of relationship mishaps, they find themselves as roommates together in Oscar’s New York City apartment.”

Simon, who died in 2018, was a Pulitzer- and Tony-winning author often referred to as the world’s most famous playwright after Shakespeare.

“Neil Simon is famous for his satirical portrayals of everyday people,” said Perkins. “What he really liked to poke fun of was the New York elite, and he humanized them in ways by showing the audience that the facade is very thin. Neil Simon lets you see how these people are when others aren’t watching.” 

Perkins said the main characters of LITTLE THEATRE’s production of “The Odd Couple” are being “wonderfully channeled” by Taylor Buchanan as Oscar Madison and Franklin Riley as Felix Unger.

Buchanan and Riley each said they connected with their characters.

“I feel like it mostly portrays me as a person. I didn’t realize it until I started getting really involved in the show,” said Riley. “I love the dynamic of how the character progresses into his own person over the course of the show.”

Buchanan also identified with his character.

“It does fit me pretty closely, actually,” he said. “I like the fact that he’s very laid back, but he does have a temper. ... Also, I like the fact that Oscar is a host. It reminds me a lot of myself because I do run away from my problems by having other people around. ... When everybody else is around, it seems like nothing is wrong. Many people can relate with that.”

Perkins said he often would tell Buchanan and Riley during rehearsals to stop acting and be more of who they are when performing their roles. 

“The dynamic between the two of them with the characters they’re filling is a wonderful thing to see,” he said. 

“The Odd Couple” is a different experience for musicians Buchanan and Riley.

“I think my favorite part about being Oscar is the opportunity to have a nonmusical role,” said Buchanan. 

The two were last on stage in 2019, performing in “Ragtime: The Musical.” 

“The comradery and the dynamic that’s there, plus the fact that both of these stars have worked together before, has really been a benefit to this whole process,” said Perkins. 

Including Buchanan and Riley, “The Odd Couple” features a cast of eight, with most returning actors and one newcomer. Two cast members return to the stage after debuting in a GLT production in the 2021-22 season opener “Crimes of the Heart.”

Perkins said people familiar with the old television show “The Odd Couple” will enjoy this play. 

But what he thinks theatergoers will enjoy most about “The Odd Couple” is how the characters are relatable.

“This is a story of a group of friends. They get together every week for their regular poker game. And all the little misadventures that come along with each one of those characters on the side, I think the audience will find a lot of these very relatable,” he said.

“The Odd Couple” includes simulated smoking of nontobacco cigarettes, mild language, references to suicide, and instances of dark humor. Parental guidance is advised.  

For tickets, visit www.greenwoodlittletheatre.com, call 662-219-3822 and leave a message or email ticketing@greenwoodlittletheatre.com. 

- Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7235 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.