Play Guide THE ODD COUPLE //
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TA B L E O F
CONTENTS S H OW C O N T E XT A B O U T T H E P L AY W R I G H T
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BEHIND THE SHOW
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P L AY I N G P O K E R
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D I R E C TO R F E AT U R E
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P L AY G U I D E A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S :
C O M P I L E D A N D E D I T E D BY:
D E S I G N E D BY:
Elizabeth Kensek Olivia Duncan
Emily Holt emilyfightscrime.com
F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T WAT E RT OW E RT H E AT R E .O RG O R C A L L 972 . 4 5 0. 62 32
THE ODD COUPLE //
Art Carney, left, and Walter Matthau in Neil Simon's play, "The Odd Couple." MARK KAUFFMAN, THE LIFE IMAGES COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES
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About the playwright
NEIL SIMON Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American
performances on Broadway. It was followed
playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays
by two more successes, Barefoot in the Park
and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film
(1963) and of course, The Odd Couple (1965)
adaptations of his plays. Simon grew up in New York City during
for which he won a Tony Award. The Odd
the Great Depression. His parents’ financial difficulties affected their
Couple is the play that brought him fame
marriage, giving him a mostly unhappy and unstable childhood.
and he went on to write several successful
He often took refuge in movie theaters, where he enjoyed watching
adaptations of the play. He garnered 17 Tony
early comedians like Charlie Chaplin. After graduating from high
Award nominations and 3 wins. He became
school and serving a few years in the Army Air Force Reserve, he
the only living playwright to have a theatre,
began writing comedy scripts for radio programs and popular
The Neil Simon Theatre, named in his honor.
early television shows. His first produced play was Come Blow Your Horn (1961). It took him three years to complete and ran for 678
Jack Mitchell/Getty Images
THE ODD COUPLE //
SYNOPSIS This Tony award winning classic comedy centers around two unlikely roommates, uptight neat Felix Ungar and easygoing disheveled Oscar Madison, and inspired both a hit movie & a TV series. This classic comedy opens as a group of the guys assemble for cards in the apartment of divorced Oscar Madison. And if the mess is any indication, it's no wonder that his wife left him. Late to arrive is Felix Unger, who has just been separated from his wife. Fastidious, depressed, and none too tense, Felix seems suicidal, but as the action unfolds, Oscar becomes the one with murder on his mind when the clean freak and the slob ultimately decide to room together with hilarious results as The Odd Couple is born.
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PLOT: FUN FACTS ABOUT THE ODD COUPLE:
Oscar doesn’t keep his New York apartment in good order—it’s messy, disorganized, and unclean. His friends, who’re used to this, arrive for their weekly poker night, and Felix is late. Everyone’s concerned
After The Odd Couple’s Broadway premiere in 1965 the characters
because Felix is the opposite of Oscar—he’s neat, tidy, and obsessed with perfection.
were revived in a successful film
Oscar prepares moldy sandwiches and stale, flat
adaptation in 1968. The film was also
Coke for everyone, and he’s chastised for it. The
written by Neil Simon.
others tell him that he needs to get his house in order because it’s filthy. He reminds them that his wife and
The Odd Couple had many
kids left him, so he must do everything himself, and he can’t be bothered. However, his wife calls during
adaptations and spin-off series
the poker game and shouts at him for failing to send
including an ABC sitcom in 1970, a
alimony this month. Oscar’s sick of her complaints but
1975 ABC cartoon, a 1982 ABC sitcom, and a CBS sitcom in 2015
promises he’ll send it along. The others, though, aren’t so sure he’ll follow through. It’s at this point Felix arrives. He’s separated from
In 1985 Simon revised the play for a female cast in an adaptation called The Female Odd Couple
his wife, and he tells them he sent her a telegram threatening suicide if she didn’t come back to him. So, now that the others know he’s contemplating suicide, they watch his every move. They all think Oscar could benefit from having someone like Felix around the
Neil Simon has received more Oscar and Tony Award nominations than any other writer.
house, which also lets someone keep an eye on him. Oscar agrees and decides to extend Felix an invitation to live with him. He says they could both use the company. Felix isn’t sure because of how messy the apartment is, but he agrees. However, it doesn’t take long before Oscar’s slovenly habits irritate Felix enough for him to do something about it. By the next poker night, the apartment is much tidier, although Oscar doesn’t seem as happy.
THE ODD COUPLE //
He’s regretting his decision to have Felix stay with him, because the housework leads to constant bickering, but he won’t tell the others this. For example, unlike the moldy sandwiches from before, Felix makes sure the men all have tasty, fresh sandwiches to eat and cold drinks. Oscar feels uncomfortable because he doesn’t feel good enough anymore. The others, however, don’t notice this. Felix and Oscar clash because they find the same flaws in each other that they found with their previous wives. They fight over the same things and resemble an “old married couple.” Oscar thinks he needs to loosen Felix up or else they won’t be able to live together anymore. He doesn’t want to throw his severely depressed friend out, so he comes up with a new plan. Oscar tells Felix that he needs to start relaxing and moving on with his life. He arranges for them to have a dinner date with the upstairs neighbors, the Pigeon sisters. Felix isn’t sure, because he’s not ready to forget his ex-wife, but he reluctantly agrees. Cleaning the apartment and preparing a menu at least keeps him occupied, and Oscar promises to help him with the cooking. The meal’s due to be served at 8pm, and Oscar will get home from work at 7pm to get it started. Oscar, however, doesn’t arrive home until 8pm. Felix struggles to prepare all the food himself, but he prepares it to a strict timetable. The Pigeon sisters turn up late, and the food is cold and stale by the time they arrive. Felix feels overwhelmed and frustrated, and the whole dinner party turns into a disaster. The Pigeon sisters leave without eating very much. This party brings all of Felix’s and Oscar’s differences to a head. They fight and Oscar kicks Felix out, but he soon regrets his decision. The others feel bad for Felix and the poker game that night is. However, Felix arrives for his clothes during the game and tells everyone that he’s moving in with the Pigeon sisters upstairs. Oscar and Felix repair their differences. Felix is pleased to see that Oscar’s now using coasters and ashtrays, which shows he’s adopted at least some better habits from Felix. Felix talks about his ex-wife and how it’s probably harder for her, because she’s stuck alone with children while he still has his freedom. Ultimately, Felix knows his wife left him because of his uncompromising ways, and this put his friendship with Oscar at risk. The pair both acknowledge their faults, and the poker game continues more cheerfully than before.
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CHARACTERS: FELIX UNGAR:
A fastidious, hypochondriac news-writer whose marriage is ending. OSCAR MADISON:
A slovenly, recently divorced sportswriter and Felix’s best friend. M U R R AY:
An NYPD policeman, one of Felix’s and Oscar’s poker buddies. SPEED:
One of the poker buddies. Gruff and sarcastic, often picking on Vinnie and Murray. VINNIE:
One of the poker buddies. Vinnie is mild-mannered and henpecked, making him an easy target for Speed’s verbal barbs. R O Y:
One of the poker buddies. Oscar’s accountant. Roy has a dry wit but is less acerbic than Speed. C E C I LY A N D G W E N D O LY N P I G E O N :
Felix’s and Oscar’s giggly upstairs neighbors, a pair of English sisters. The former is a divorcee, the latter a widow.
THE ODD COUPLE //
Playing poker: The characters in The Odd Couple play poker several times throughout the play. For those unfamiliar with poker, it is a popular card game involving betting and strategy. You must read the other players to decide when to fold, when to bluff, and when to call someone else’s bluff. There are many variations of poker but the basic rules stay the same. Each player is dealt a hand of cards (usually 5 or 7). The players then assess the strength of their hand and wager chips accordingly. A round of betting work like this: starting to the left of the dealer, each player has four options:
1. RAISE
A player who thinks he has a good hand (or who wants the other players to think he has a good hand) may increase the wager required to continue playing. 2. FOLD
A player who thinks his hand is not good enough to win and who does not want to wager the increased amount may lay down his cards. He cannot win the hand, but he also will not lose any more chips. 3. CALL
Once a player has raised the stakes, each player must decide whether to raise the stakes again, to give in and fold his hand, or to call. Which means, to equal the amount wagered by the player who raised. 4. CHECK
If no one has increased the wager required to continue, a player can stick to their bet by checking, or passing his option to bet.
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A b o u t t h e D I R E C TO R
ASHLEY PUCKETT GONZALES
THE ODD COUPLE //
Ashley Puckett Gonzales (Director) has enjoyed 20 years as a professional actor and theatre maker. In the last 5 years directing has become her true focus and she really loves being on the other side of the table. She has worked as a director and associate director in theatres ranging from high schools, to regionals, to Off-Broadway. She has always taught, coached, and directed both kids and adults; and her students have worked in shows ranging from community theatres, Broadway’s The Lion King, to Dallas Theatre Center and other regional houses. Ashley is also an accomplished actress that has performed in Broadway National tours, at Madison Square Garden, The Kennedy Center, and at countless regional theaters. She brings that experience to bear as she strives to tell good stories with passion and creativity.
Gonzales shared the f o l l ow i n g r e g a r d i n g h e r v i s i o n for the production: “In a time when we are reevaluating art with new perspectives, it is exciting and interesting to revisit a classic with new eyes. Our version of The Odd Couple approaches the "good old days" as if they were better than they were- a version of the timeline where diversity is embraced instead of just in its infancy. Neil Simon's classic 1965 comedy has at its heart, a story of individuals trying to connect through their differences and trying to make their way through difficult times. Loyalty and kindness overcome personality quirks and differences. Come laugh with us as Felix and Oscar muddle through relationships, trying to learn to connect, and to do better tomorrow than they did yesterday.”
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B OX O F F I C E : 972 . 4 5 0 . 62 32 WAT E R T O W E R T H E AT R E .O R G