The Rogers State University Theatre Program will present the Neil Simon classic “The Odd Couple,” April 12–15 at the Will Rogers Auditorium.
The curtain will go up at 7:07 p.m. for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday productions. Sunday’s performance will be a 2:07 p.m. matinee.
“The Odd Couple” debuted as a Broadway play in 1965. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and slovenly. The show ran for 966 Broadway performances and won several Tony Awards.
In 1968, “The Odd Couple” was made into an Academy Award-winning film starring Jack Lemmon as Felix and Walter Matthau as Oscar. The success of the film served as the catalyst to bring the characters to television. From 1970 to1975, ABC ran 114 episodes of the television sitcom of the same name.
“This is a great opportunity to bring the people who already know and love this show together in a theatre with younger people who have never encountered Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar,” said Renee Cox, director. “This comedy is just as bright and funny now as it was in the late 1960’s. It has aged incredibly well.”
The cast of characters includes Christopher Hart of Claremore as Oscar Madison, Josh Gammon of Broken Arrow as Felix Ungar, Andrew Nichols of Pryor as Murray, Andrew Grimes of Claremore as Speed, David Prock of Collinsville as Vinnie, Keenan Mackey of Cushing as Roy, Hannah Westlund of Owasso as Gwendolyn Pigeon and Marian Hart of Claremore as Cecily Pigeon.
This production is a fund-raiser to purchase new stage lights for the RSU auditorium. RSU students, faculty and staff tickets will cost $10. Tickets for the general public also will be $10, with $6 tickets available to senior citizens.
“We knew that if we wanted to raise money for new lights we needed to present a play that would pack the house – something that was well known, well written and beloved by audiences,” Cox said. “‘The Odd Couple’ was a clear favorite.”
Reservations are not necessary. For more information, call the RSU Theatre box office at 918-343-6882 or email [email protected].