The Chattanooga Theatre Centre will offer both male and female versions of “The Odd Couple,” with Carlene Conway, seated left, and Zach DeSutter, seated right, playing the messy leads Olive and Oscar, respectively, and Katlyn Gabor, standing left, and Sanford Knox Jr. portraying the neatnik leads Florence and Felix, respectively.IF YOU GO* What: “The Odd Couple.”* When: Women’s cast – 8 p.m. Jan. 24, Jan. 31, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15; 2:30 p.m. Feb. 2; 7 p.m. Feb. 6 and Feb. 13. Men’s cast – 8 p.m. Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 7 and Feb. 14; 7 p.m. Jan. 30; 2:30 p.m. Feb. 9 and Feb. 16.* Where: Mildred M. Montague Circle Stage, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St.* Admission: $30 opening night; $12.50-$25 other performances.* Phone: 423-267-8534.* Website: TheatreCentre.com.ADDED ATTRACTIONSThe Chattanooga Theatre Centre will offer additional programming with several performances of “The Odd Couple.”* Friday, Jan. 24: Opening-night gala at 7 p.m. (women’s cast); 8 p.m. curtain.* Thursday, Jan. 30: Real-time captioning (men’s cast); 7 p.m. curtain.* Friday, Jan. 31: Talk-back session with the director and cast members following show (women’s cast); 8 p.m. curtain.* Friday, Feb. 14: Girls Night Out (men’s cast); 8 p.m. curtain.
You know them – the neurotic, fastidious one and the self-centered, sloppy one – or at least people like them. Indeed, their names – Felix and Oscar – have become almost synonymous with their characteristics.
Playwright Neil Simon drew them so perfectly nearly five decades ago that one believes apartment roommates always will be one neatnik and one slacker.
The Chattanooga Theatre Centre, in continuing an homage to its 90th anniversary, will offer both the male and female versions of Simon’s “The Odd Couple” on its Mildred M. Montague Circle Stage beginning on Friday, Jan. 24.
“It’s timeless,” director Beth Gumnick says of Simon’s work about the separated husband (or wife) who reluctantly moves in with his (or her) friend, despite their differences. “It’s still really funny. None of the humor is dated.”