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Putting two polar-opposite characters together in a confined space and watching them duke it out is one of the oldest comedic tricks in the book.
That doesn’t make it any less effective.
Neil Simon takes full advantage of this in his classic play, “The Odd Couple,” which opens Dec. 1 at the Keith Anderson Community Center in Orono.
The play stars University of Maine theatre student Jose-Luis Lopez as Felix Ungar, the obsessively organized clutter-phobe, opposite Telly Coolong as Oscar Madison, who is much less concerned with the cleanliness of the tiny space the two occupy.
The play is directed by Angela Bonacasa, who has been involved with theater on campus in a big way. She has worked as fight choreographer for the Gilbert and Sullivan musical “The Pirates of Penzance,” and this past summer, she directed the murder mystery “The Bat,” which also featured Lopez.
“She always knows just what to do. It’s always great working with her,” Lopez said about working with Bonacasa again.
The production takes place at the Keith Anderson Community Center in Orono, which holds a relatively small stage compared to UMaine’s Hauck Auditorium.
The space provides the piece with added stress, increases its comedic element and heightens the characterization. It also adds some difficulty when blocking, due to the large amount of running written into the piece, but will no doubt be easy to deal with for Bonacasa, an experienced fight choreographer.
The chemistry between Felix and Oscar is what will bring the piece to life.
“Even during auditions, we had great chemistry,” Lopez said. “If Oscar and Felix don’t work, then the show won’t work.”
The play contains serious dramatic undertones. The audience learns before the play begins that Felix has tried to kill himself, a consequence of his failed relationship with his wife.
It becomes clear as the play progresses that Felix’s neat-freak persona is a defense mechanism to cover up his pain. Occasionally throughout Simon’s script, that defensive mask slips off and Felix cries. He may be trying to control the apartment’s cleanliness because he has lost control over his personal life.
“That’s the really challenging part of the script: Felix’s vulnerability,” Lopez said. “It comes out whenever his wife and kids are mentioned.”
The set was designed by University of Maine student Tricia Hobbs, who will also design the upcoming university show “Avenue Q,” set to open in early 2012.
At its core, “The Odd Couple” is a tug-of-war between the two lead characters. If they both have distinct characterization and good comedic timing while capturing the rhythm of the script, the show is sure to be a huge success.
Lopez wiped a smudge off his perfectly shined shoes, a telling sign he has truly found his character and is ready to take the stage.
He summarized his expectations for the show by saying, “It’s going to be a hell of a show.”
“The Odd Couple” will run from Dec. 1 to Dec. 4. Show times are at 7 p.m. for the first three performances and 3 p.m. for the final showing.
Bangor Daily News