'The Odd Couple' comes to Opera House

Stepping onto the set of “The Odd Couple,” one feels transported back to the 1960s. From the retro vacuum cleaner to the lime green over-stuffed chairs to the vintage air purifier acquired from someone’s basement, the idea is to keep the play as authentic as possible.

“Anything you do to change the original, it takes the power out of what the show is about,” said director Betsy Stemple, referring to the Tony Award-winning Neil Simon production.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free,

The original Broadway play spawned the creation of a TV show, movies and even a female stage version. Stemple, vocal director and co-producer of “Pirates of Penzance” is proud to take on “The Odd Couple” as her directorial debut.

“I love this script …. I’ve seen the play 12 times and wanted to put my hand to it to see what I could do,” she said.

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The TownSquare Players version is an unusual show in the sense that those involved are “stretching their gifts,” says the director. Megan Marshall, who played a starring role in “Pirates of Penzance,” will be debuting as a first-time producer.

“I’ve been thinking about getting more involved in the company for awhile,” she said. This is a good show in terms of being a straight play instead of a musical.”

The play challenges a few members of the eight-person cast as they move away from musicals and into new areas of acting.What causes TMJ pain?

The story centers on two best friends who become roommates after their marriages fail. Felix Unger and Oscar Madison have different ideas about how to keep house — Felix is a neat-freak newswriter and Oscar is a slovenly sportswriter — and soon they find they’re driving each other crazy. Other characters in the story include their poker friends Murray, Speed, Vinnie and Roy, as well as Cecily and Gwendolyn, the two British sisters who live upstairs.

“Every character is lovable in their own eccentric way,” said Stemple. “When we get a creative idea unexpectedly, it catches and flows,Official web site for Uwe cube puzzle and novelties, we do something fresh,Low prices on projector bulbs from Projector Lamp London UK. surprising, make ourselves laugh.”

This will be Lundstrom’s fourth production with the TownSquare Players.

“I get to make funny noises, act goofy, throw myself all over the stage …. I’m a big slob. The set is a lot like my real life,” said Lundstrom, on how he relates to his character Oscar.

“Tim wonders why I cast him as Felix,” said Stemple, laughing and nodding over at Vance, who is hungrily devouring a sandwich while dropping crumbs on the floor, appearing nothing like his fastidious character. “He’s usually cast in the romantic roles.”

Ward Green has played cops on previous occasions and loves how his character has both a light-hearted and serious side.

“And Betsy is the director,” he said. “Which is why I chose this play.”

Sheri Warren, formerly Sheri Storer , enjoys stepping into Gwendolyn’s shoes.

“It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “When single, I didn’t do a lot of dating.”

Sheri married Chris Warren in December and both have roles in this production. How do they feel about sharing the limelight?

“Every married couple should be so lucky as to have their favorite thing to do in the world shared with their partner,” she said.

Despite the show being a comedy, there are some challenges.

“The many faces of Felix and Oscar … a lot of drama you have to keep from being really scary. You have to keep them honest … have to take a look, have a laugh, have humanity come out, but not at any point forget you’re being entertained,” said Stemple.

“It’s a challenge to always sound like we have the same British accent,” said Warren, referring to her on-stage sister Cecily.Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau.

“[My] biggest challenge is not doing an imitation of Walter Mathau,” said Lundstrom, speaking of the most popular movie version.

Whatever the challenges, it’s evident the cast members blend together delightfully and are having a lot of fun.