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December 14, 2009
Simrundeep Kaur
Lights dim and the upbeat music fades. The theme song reverberates from the speakers and the lights slowly increase in intensity. The stage is set and the actors perform.
Seniors Kimberly Chatterjee and Haley Wilks play the leads, Olive Madison and Florence Unger, respectively. The show is fueled with their comical verbal battles. Their different personalities clash; Olive is a slob while Florence is a neat freak.
Seniors Lorenzo Dominguez and Andre Vernot play the Costazuela brothers who exchange comedic turns. The supporting cast also includes senior Kim Dutrow, junior Sarah Kowalski, and senior Lindsay McCargar.
“Having a small cast was nice, because everyone was really dedicated and really talented,” Dutrow said.
Chatterjee admitted that the cast made a few mistakes during their opening night performance, but the cast members covered the flaws up. Chatterjee found the experience bittersweet; the cast members put in so much effort and time, even though there were only a six performances.
As for technical aspects, lighting is basic, but used effectively. There are no spotlights used so the focus is on all the actors on stage, not just a few. The recognizable “Odd Couple” theme song and some fun, pop music (ranging from Madonna to Journey) can be heard during scene transitions and intermission. All the actors successfully project their voices across the stage, despite the lack of microphone use.
The set is painted with pink walls and the floors are carpeted to complete the look of a comfortable apartment. The doorways cut out from the walls are realistic, giving the illusion of several rooms. Senior Nikita Gurnani painted the kitchen window and added a completely realistic apartment window view of the surroundings. The use of levels for the main doorway is also a creative way to showcase stairs.
Props are also impressively utilized. When Florence is cleaning the “apartment,” she used an actual vacuum cleaner with extension cord. Scattered clothes, two tables, a bookshelf attached to the wall, a couch and a coat rack mirror add authenticity to the apartment.
The Neil Simon play was originally written and performed with male lead characters, most memorably in the 1968 film starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Simon wrote the female version in 1985. However, the latter version is believed by director and WHS drama teacher, Matthew Ballin to be the funnier one. “The Odd Couple” is a play that should be seen by those that appreciate quality comedy and entertainment.
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