The Odd Couple Impresses At JHS

Even though my original plans for Saturday night didn't come to fruition, it wasn't the end of the world. As predicted, it would be a memorable night, but for a different reason.

There have been some great shows at recently— and the Panther Players May 21 performance of The Odd Couple was no exception. The night began with an outstanding comedic monologue about marriage by Kody Fraser, which set up the story line.

"The word marriage isn't a word, but a sentence," said Fraser.

The play is about two friends named Oscar Madison and Felix Unger, who are both dealing with divorce. Despite the serious subject, the laughs were plentiful.

Many of the exchanges between the sloppy Oscar, played by Rob Bishop, and the anal retentive Felix, played by Avery Broccoli, were hysterical.  It was obvious that the cast spent a lot of time preparing.

"We started working on it right after the in February," said teacher Joanne DeCurtis. "They've been hustling the last few weeks."

In contrast to past shows, The Odd Couple had a much smaller cast.

"The last cast we had had 80 kids in it. This one has eight," said DeCurtis, who added she was pleased with the opening night performance. "I was very happy with it. They did a very nice job. We had a receptive crowd, and they got all the jokes."

DeCurtis also provided a preview of next year's schedule, including a performance of Dracula in October, and Aladdin later in the year. If the quality of Saturday's show is any indication, both should be highly entertaining.

Watch the accompanying video for scenes from the performance.

Download the movie