Apopka's The Odd Couple Beautifully Executed

by Valerie Marks, Cypress Creek High School

Oh, the inhumanity of the roommate that’s the complete opposite of you- but what if that roommate is your best friend? An anal-retentive neat freak paired up with an irresponsibly casual womanizer? Though it seems like an odd couple of bachelors, Apopka High School’s rendition of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple was a beautifully-executed comedy of errors.

When messy divorcee Oscar Madison’s obsessive-compulsive best friend’s, Felix Ungar’s, wife divorces him, Oscar takes Felix in as a favor to a distraught friend. Felix, who lives a life of routine, and Oscar, who lives a life of spontaneity, suddenly find their lives turned completely upside-down. Suddenly, Oscar’s 8-bedroom apartment seems a bit cramped.

Apopka High School presented both a male and a female version of the famous play. The casting for all of the roles seemed well-suited, and the ensemble work was superb. The actors worked well together, especially during several particularly entertaining chase scenes.

Both the humorous and dramatic aspects of the show were displayed cohesively in the complicated relationship between Oscar (Steven Jones) and Felix (Kyle Mulcahy.) Going further beyond many high school productions, Jones and Mulcahy played on both the physical and non-verbal interactions as well as the actual dialogue in the play. The complicated emotions shown from both of the actors were apparent in light-hearted, comedic shtick, as well as tense dramatic scenes.

Opening the play with a weekly Friday night poker game, an ensemble of supporting actors worked seamlessly together, never stopping or toning down their different, unique characters. Roy, Vinnie, Speed and Murray (Jonathan Sepulveda, Michael Sapp, Ross Black, Alex Pollard) worked as a team while still maintaining their individual personalities.

Setting the tone for the play, the first glimpse of the set gives an optimistic impression immediately. Looking straight out of a New York City bachelor pad, even the real chandeliers hanging from the “ceiling” add to the photograph. Though the costumes were wildly different, they served to further exemplify the differences in the characters.

As is evident through the audience’s well-timed laughter, in Apopka High School’s production of The Odd Couple, odd is definitely perfect.

Originally published in the Backstage Noise, Fall Issue, 2005