"The Odd Couple" depicts two friends, both navigating the woes of divorce, who move in with each other. One is a slob, the other is tidy.
There’s a few iterations of the play, from Broadway stages to a television show filmed in the 1970s. Although most renditions center around two male leads, the play’s original author also has a version that has two women characters who move in together.
“It looks at women's issues differently,” said Donna Shirnberg, the show’s co-producer who plays the messy Olive Madison. “When you look at the men’s version, it’s definitely men’s issues. These are women’s issues with the way they deal with divorce, the way that they deal with changing jobs or losing a husband.”
The play is set in the 1980s and takes place entirely in Olive’s New York City apartment. In this rendition, six of the eight characters are women who blow off steam by clowning on each other while playing the game Trivial Pursuit. Terri Zopf-Schoessler plays Florence Unger, the clean one.
“I get to be the counterpart to that horrible slob Olive Madison," she said. "I am the hypochondriac, I am the neat freak, I am the one who has all of these different allergies, owies and ickies, and I am trying to transform her into someone where we can keep this place liveable. I’m not trying to irritate her, but apparently everything I do does.”
But part of what makes the Kenai Performers’ rendition special is that the actors for Olive and Florence are close friends off stage, too. The pair’s relationship contributes to the flow and hilarity of their chemistry on stage. Zopf-Schoessler says the story itself is nostalgic, since she remembers the decades the show takes place.
“We grew up with them, so for some of us, it’s reminiscent," she said. "Plus, if you lived through the 80s, and the big hair and crazy costumes, we have laughed ourselves silly getting back the way we used to dress when we thought we were super cool.”
The production held auditions in December and began rehearsing regularly in February. Yvette Tappana plays Mickey the Cop, who enjoys Trivial Pursuit with her friends to forget about the stress of her husband. Tappana says she’s enjoyed experiencing the growth and bonding moments of the play's characters and the actors themselves.
“I hope people enjoy the fun," Tappana said. "There’s a little bit of risque, which women tend not to be, you don’t seem to find that in plays, but this is how women are when they’re hanging out together. I think that’s an important thing to see; we have our little innuendos, we have our things, and I think it’s hilarious. I hope people see that and say ‘oh yeah, that’s how we are when we’re over there drinking coffee at Kaladi’s.’”
“I would love people to come out,” Zopf-Schoessler said. “They really need to understand how much talent there is on the peninsula. We have an absurd proportion of very talented people, and everybody does this for free. It’s the best sense of community that you can find that has a real positive outcome.”
The Kenai Performers production of “The Odd Couple” will run the next three weekends at the group’s headquarters behind Subway on K-Beach Road. Friday and Saturday shows will begin at 7 p.m., and Sunday shows will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are available on the Kenai Performers’ website.
