Benicia Theatre Group’s “The Odd Couple” fills the air with non-stop laughter, a welcome relief in this overwhelmingly chaotic time.
Set Designers Brian Hough and Beate Bruhl layout a colorful, homey 1960’s sloppy apartment. Complementing multi-Lighting and Sound, Tom Kvech and Veronica Bearce also blend the sense of chaos in each scene.
The story centers on a long-standing poker game with friends. Chaos erupts when Felix, an important member, fails to show up. When he eventually arrives, downtrodden and threatening to kill himself, Oscar offers him a place to stay. Felix’s wife wants a divorce. Oscar, a Brooklyn baseball sportswriter and boozer, is brought to life with agility and dynamic wit by Kyle Nash. Felix, portrayed with charismatic precision and a monotone stoicism by Matt Cardigan, takes life too seriously. The constant comic tension is palpable.
Felix meticulously pays his bills, excellent as a news writer, as well as a compulsive clean-freak. While disorganized Oscar, a slob, could care less about life choices and tidiness. He underfed his son’s gold fish, now dead. His payments to his wife suffer from his gambling debts. Their styles clash, destined to unravel their friendship, much like their now disrupted poker game. They both realize how difficult their friend is to live with.
Poker nights are no longer evenings of smoke, grubbiness, and moldy sandwiches. None the less, the guys are waited on hand and foot by Felix. Oscar arranges dinner dates with the English sisters who live in the building—Center 1 and 3–Gwendolyn Pigeon (Maya Via) and Cecily Pigeon (Ashley Jaye). Their late but spot-on 60’s girlishness adds another facet to Simon’s multi-layered artistry. However, Felix refuses to go along and their date night is a bust.
First Row-Kyle Nash. (Oscar) Director Adria Swan middle, Matt Cardigan (Felix) photo by Michael Van Auken
How far can a friendship bond stretch?
Oscar’s poker friends: Top Row—Roy (KimTaeJun) Speed (Shailesh Sivanantham) , Murray (Joe Walter), (Mark Shepard), and Murray (Joe Walter) add diverse personalities to the mix. Walter as Murray, the empathetic cop differs from Shailesh’s Speed, the no-nonsense poker player. Appeasing, yet hungry Vince, does not move as quickly as Roy who is anxious and on alert. Their banter effectively sets the stage for the play’s tension, gambling and eating, and highlights the friendship dynamic. Shepard and Walter stand out for their engaging performances.
Simon’s script features straightforward dialogue. Director Adria Swan’s precision in the art of comedy, choreography, and characterization, enhances the actor’s line delivery with impeccable timing.
“The Odd Couple,” besides questioning what one accepts in friendship, will most importantly in today’s world, let you shed your worries, and laugh with your heart.
“The Odd Couple” by Neil Simon, directed by Adria Swan, produced by Benicia Theatre Group, Benicia, CA. www.BeniciaTheatreGroup.org, through November 10th.
Cast: Kyle Nash, Matt Cardigan-Smith, Joe Walters, Shailesh Sivanantham, Mark Shepard, KimTaeJun, Maya Via, Ashley Jaye