What happens when two guys " one divorced and one separated " move in together to save money as well as support one another?
The guys end up having the same problems and blowups they had while married, in Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple," a perennial favorite since premiering in 1965 and now in residence at the Jewel Box Theatre.
CAST
The top-notch supporting cast is wonderful, especially Glen Hallstrom as Murray the cop, and Shawna Linck and Renee Pitts as the Pigeon sisters.
As the "odd couple" itself, Jon Haque and Rob May pop lines back and forth like old sparring partners. Haque is often seen in high-energy comic roles and he brings a fun physicality to Oscar.
May, who received the Jewel Box Gem Award for the stately Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird," shows he also can deliver the comic goods effortlessly as the neurotic, pinched-up Felix.
STAGING
The Jewel Box's intimate arena stage makes you feel like you're smack in the middle of Oscar's sinkhole of an apartment, and Don Taylor's taut direction keeps the piece snapping along with funny overlapping sequences.
"The Odd Couple" still remains surprisingly current in its observations of human nature. And Simon's one-two punches, which made him the king of comedy, still work. "Linda McDonald
