The Park Players’ Production of The Odd Couple by Neil Simon
Co-directed by Emilio Rodriguez and Katy Shoetzow
AUDITION DATES:
- Thursday, January 3 @ 7pm
- Sunday, January 6 @ 1pm
PERFORMANCE DATES:
March 22-24 and 29-31
Male Cast: March 22 & 23 at 8pm and March 30 & 31 at 2pm
Female Cast: March 23 & 24 at 2pm and March 29 & 30 at 8pm.
Park Players’ plans to perform both Male and Female versions for one of Neil Simon’s most popular works, The Odd Couple. The male version is set in the 1960’s and the female version is set in the 1980’s. Both about two very mismatched “best friends,” who are forced to live together due to circumstance. One is a helpless slob, while the other is an uptight neat freak - a recipe for disaster!
Female Version Characters:
- Olive Madison: A successful television producer; she is intelligent and wisecracking, with a good sense of humor, and she’s a complete slob; she has an encyclopedic understanding of sports.
- Florence Unger: Very well-groomed, and neat; has just broken up with her husband; she takes herself very seriously, likes to clean, decorate, and cook; she is intelligent and warm-hearted, but has no sense of humor (at least about herself).
- Mickey: A police officer, who is down-to-earth, plain-talking, and has a good understanding of people; she tries very hard to be in control of all situations.
- Sylvie: Desperately trying to stop smoking, and so sucks on lollipops or chews gum; she can get irritated with her friends, but has a good sense of humor, especially about her husband
- Renee: Sylvie’s best friend, can be very plain-spoken, especially when she points out Olive’s failings as a hostess–and then Flo’s; she is single and dating a doctor.
- Vera: Very sweet, very nice, somewhat spacey, and, although quite smart, is often a step or two behind her friends; she’s very funny, but doesn’t realize it.
- Manolo Costazuela: Handsome, very well-groomed, and Spanish with a Castilian accent; he is every woman’s dream date and showers both Olive and Flo with attention; he must have good comic timing, as he gets very emotional; he is sensitive and appreciates Florence’s sensitivity.
- Jesus Costazuela: Manolo’s younger brother; also very handsome, well-groomed, excellent posture, very romantic; he also gets very emotional and truly appreciates Florence.
Male Version Characters:
- Oscar Madison: a carefree, good-natured, divorced sportswriter who lives alone in a messy eight-room New York apartment. He is completely oblivious to dirt, clutter, and the overdue child-support payments about which his wife telephones weekly. He has his male cronies in for a weekly poker game with refreshments that invite food poisoning. Oscar’s lifestyle is abruptly turned around when he takes in one of the members of the group, Felix Ungar, whose wife has thrown him out.
- Felix Unger: a fussy man who knows that he is difficult to live with but cannot—or will not—make any concessions or compromises. His wife, unwilling to continue their marriage, asks him to leave the family despite his suicide threat, and he then moves in with Oscar. Made comical by his exaggerated behavior.
- Speed: One of Oscar and Felix’s poker buddies. Gruff and sarcastic, often picking on Vinnie and Murray.
- Vinnie: One of Oscar and Felix’s poker buddies. Vinnie is mild-mannered and henpecked, making him an easy target for Speed’s verbal barbs.
- Murray: A NYPD policeman, one of Oscar and Felix’s poker buddies.
- Gwendolyn Pigeon: Oscar and Felix’s giggly upstairs neighbor, one of a pair of English sisters. She is a widow.
- Cecily Pigeon:Oscar and Felix’s giggly upstairs neighbor, one of a pair of English sisters. She is a divorcée.
Per Park Players’ tradition, all roles are cast blind of race, gender, age, etc.
AUDITION SIDES can be found at the following dropbox link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mtcwf73wdyv6w57/AABoDwt-ouuxRdlDZ7t0MbTLa?dl=0
For more information, email katyschoetzow@gmail.com