So I went up to the wonderfully smelly town of Atchison to see the Benedictine College production of...
"The Odd Couple (Female Version)"
by Neil Simon
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| This isn't there poster, they didn't have on online. Back in my day... |
From the moment I sat down in the theater I had a sense of disorder. The set was in pieces - doorways without walls - and there was high contrast in the designs on the floors. Upstage were hardwood floors, downstage were tile floors, with smaller, more colorful square tiles as facing in some areas. Hah! I just got it! The little colorful tiles were Trivial Pursuit colors! Hah! Cool stuff!
Ahem. Anyway. The play focuses on the odd couple - the strange friendship between Olive and Florence that turns into a living situation from hell - but the opening scene focuses on the group of friends in which Olive and Florence are a part of. It was a crucial scene in establishing the sense of friendship between these girls and would either convince us they were all friends who liked each other or convince us we wasted $5 tonight. The former was achieved.
From the moment the friends leave, we start to see the obvious dynamic between Olive and Florence. Yeah, you guessed it, one's a slob and one's a neat freak. It's such an obvious formula for comedy that you'd think it'd be impossible to screw up... But community theaters screw it up all the time, so would this small college fall into that niche?
No, of course not! Haha
Olive and Florence could not have been any more different. The transformation of sympathy turned into hatred that Olive goes through in the show matched the energy of hopelessness turned hopeful that Florence transforms into. And then, of course, what could be funnier than seeing two white boys in dark skinned makeup play the ridiculously romantic Spaniard brothers? Hilarious stuff all over.
From the start and going all the way through the show, the fast pace, witty delivery of dialogue, and intense emotions sent the audience on a near non-stop laugh trip. I would guess that in a "normal" crowd outside of Benedictine College it would have been literally non-stop, but some of the only times the audience wasn't laughing were the uncomfortable silences after a slightly dirty joke. Risky as it was to keep that type of content in the show at a Catholic school, I commend the director for staying true to the intention of the playwright.
Updating the show's lines to fit certain cultural and social standards that have changed since the show was written (cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, etc) was also risky idea. However, the additions and their execution were brilliant and the audience reacted in due form.
Overall, it was a very funny and very enjoyable show. The set, lights, and music all augmented the show's brilliance, and, of course, all actors were top notch. Strong, believable characters coupled with an obvious and clear direction made the show a great performance to witness. The technical side met the strength of every other facet, with tight technical cues and fast, efficient stage hands.
If you'd missed the show, don't let it get you down. Just make sure you make it to the next shows up at Benedictine College. Nestled into that smelly little town is a theater which produces work worth seeing. I can't wait to see what comes next. :-)
Wonderful job all,
Corbin
