Ross Valley Players
Runs through December 16, 2018

Arguably playwright Neil Simon’s greatest hit and the number one theater comedy of the 20th century, The Odd Couple, endures, surviving productions of every stripe to share its apparently timeless humor with audiences again and again. The play premiered in 1965, and the script occasionally reveals its dated origins, but not in a way that mars the comedy—Simon’s genius creates a world of identifiable and genuine characters no matter the era or circumstance. The current production at Ross Valley Players falls somewhat short of the mark, as it’s less funny than one would hope, but it manages to be entertaining overall with some fortuitous casting.

The Odd Couple focuses on two middle-aged men, recently divorced Oscar (Russ Whismore), in his eight-room Manhattan apartment, and his friend, newly separated Felix (David Boyll). When the weekly poker game at Oscar’s pad gets interrupted by Felix’s suicidal threats following his eviction from home, Oscar is prompted to offer Felix a temporary landing, which Felix gratefully accepts.

We soon learn that Felix’s neatnik habits, compulsions and neuroses make a poor match with Oscar’s free-wheeling, slovenly bachelor demeanor, leading to amusing arguments and stand-offs. …

To read more about this production, go to Talkin’Broadway:
The Odd Couple