BWW REVIEWS: THE ODD COUPLE at Trinity Repertory Company

Director Curt Columbus has devised a late 1960's television set and studio in Trinity's Chace Theater for this production of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple.  The set instantly telegraphs to the audience that there will be no artsy, updated adaptation of the story, no post-Stonewall exploration of Felix Ungar's sexuality.  Not here. Columbus has approached The Odd Couple as a period piece.  The work has been "present tense" for most of the past 45 years, and the time feels right for this approach.

FrEd Sullivan embodies Oscar Madsion, a recently-divorced, slovenly, New York sports writer, who lives alone in his eight room apartment in Manhattan. Oscar's ex-wife has taken their kids and moved as far away from New York as possible; to California.  Oscar clings to tradition and habit to help him mark time.  Poker night with his buddies is the highlight of his, and their, week. Oscar Madison is the tragic clown, played perfectly by Sullivan.

Brian McEleney plays the tightly-wound, more-than-fastidious, news writer Felix Ungar, who is convinced he has nothing to live for after his wife announces the end their twelve-year marriage.  The normally right-on-time Felix shows up two hours late to the traditional Friday night poker game at Oscar's apartment. He has just vomited up the bottle of green pills he took in a half-hearted attempt to end his suffering.  Once everyone is assured that the immediate crisis is averted, Oscar invites Felix to move in to his place, a plan that makes sense at the time.

"Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?", is the question. The answer is "No.".

Mauro Hantman as Speed, Stephen Berenson as Murray, Stephen Thorne as Roy and Joe Wilson, Jr. as Vinnie are the other regulars at Oscar's Friday night poker game and a construct a self-contained social circle.  Mr. Simon has carefully balanced each of these characters in relation  to each other and to the main characters.  Each member of the supporting cast has been handed a fully-formed character that they have to relay instantly, while being funny.  They nail it.

Rounding out the cast are Phyllis Kay and Nance Williamson as the Pigeon sisters, two middle-aged British divorcées who live a few floors up in the New York high rise.  Kay and Williamson are delightful in their respective roles.

William Lane, once again, has created near-perfect costumes.  The Pigeon sisters' jewel-tone dresses are marvelous; funny, but not distracting. 

Eugene Lee's television studio set is divine.  One can take it all at face value, or search for the details.  The brass air register on the stair landing strikes me as unnecessary by itself, but in context, it is a tiny piece of brilliant detail.

With Curt Columbus at the helm and FrEd Sullivan, Jr. and Brian McEleney on stage for their 50th play together, the chemistry is right.  Add to that mix Neil Simon's easy to digest comic rhythm: Line, Line, Set-up, Punch-line, Laugh, Repeat. A tight supporting cast is the final ingredient for success and makes this production a perfect evening of light escapism theater.

The Odd Couple plays through May 9, 2010 in Trinity Rep's Chace Theater.  Tickets range from $10-$65 and can be purchased at the Box Office, which is located at 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI, by phone at (401) 351-4242 or by visiting www.trinityrep.com.

Photo: FrEd Sullivan, Jr. as Oscar Madison and Brian McEleney as Felix Ungar in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple. 

Photo Credit: Mark Turek; courtesy of Trinity Repertory Company

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