'The Odd Couple', Alive and Well and Funny In Rhinebeck

L   iving with others is never easy.

   That perfect roommate inevitably becomes that oaf who won’t do the dishes, or maybe that nag who leaves borderline obsessive Post-it notes around the house.

   It happens to everyone sharing a small space: best friends, family members and couples.

    This universal truth is what makes us enjoy Neil Simon’s famous play “The Odd Couple†so much. Its characters could easily call to mind someone you know, or even yourself.

   Laughing at ourselves is about as therapeutic as it gets, and this play is a terrific example of how this works.

   The play, set in the bachelor pad of laid-back divorcé Oscar (Joe Felece), begins when his friend Felix (Johnny Dell) gets divorced, too. Oscar graciously offers Felix a room in his apartment, and hilarity ensues.

     Director Lou Trapani’s production of “The Odd Couple†at the Center for Performing arts in Rhinebeck does not disappoint. Claiming it to be “the funniest play of all time,†Trapani sets out to prove that he is not lying. Everything about the play, from details of set design, to the perfect casting of the main characters, produces a giggle. Trapani has even slightly tweaked the play to modernize it, adding touches such as a Playboy magazine on the living room table and Gen-X raver girls as potential love interests. Indeed, there was a disproportionate amount of snorting laughter during last Friday night’s production.

  Maybe you’ve seen “The Odd Couple†before, either in its stage or film version. Or on television. Maybe you’ve even read it. However, familiarity with the play will not stop you from enjoying this production, and should not stop you from going to see it. We need to be entertained, these days, and “The Odd Couple†delivers.

“The Odd Couple†runs on weekends through Nov. 21 at The Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck. Tickets: call 845-876-3080 or go to www.centerforperformingarts.org.

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