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Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 5559) Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: rjerred@haltonsearch.com \\ l > \! SI > SI I TI I A ll > 1 |{ l< » J< » > ; · I I '.«> JR T S C M E There's nothing `odd' about the success of this play By Craig MacBride SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER T omorrow w ill be a milestone in the history o f theatre in Oakville. As the curtain rises on the West End Studio Theatre (WEST) production o f N eil Sim on's The Odd Couple (Female Version), it- w ill mark the o ffi cial start to the 25th season o f the Oakville Drama Series. Granted. 25 years is not a long time, but for members o f ODS. it is a suitable occasion to acknowledge their accom plishments and to look toward what they can accomplish in the future. It is a time for them to pat them selves on the back, and be patted on the back by their patrons, for not only stay ing together this long, but for growing in the manner that they have. The ODS has a strong trio o f theatre groups that are simultaneously competing against one another and supporting one another. At this significant juncture, they contin ue to grow, and the quality o f the work, along with their reputation, improves with each production. When the person who has my job in 75 years sits down to sift through the history o f the ODS for an article cele brating its 100th anniversary, I suspect that person w ill find the quarter century mark is where the group began to truly lift itself to the next level. With all that on their minds, it is amazing that the cast and crew o f The Odd Couple aren't more nervous than they are. "There's always pressure." said Yo Mustafa, artistic director o f WEST and director o f this production. O f directing the first show o f the sea son. he added, " you' re setting the tone for the season, and we' ll be setting the bar high." The female version o f The Odd Couple is not, as many think, women reading the original play, which was written for male characters. The female version is actually a different script entirely, albeit a near-duplicate plot. The female version, also written by Neil Simon, was first produced in 1986, A Neil Simonfavourite marks the official start to the 25th season o f the Oakville Drama Series Chantal Ayotte · Special to the Oakville Beaver The female version o f the ever-popular Neil Simon play The Odd Couple starts tom orrow . The cast at rehearsals are, fro n t from left, Nancy W asilik Festarini (Sylvie), Jamie Cortese (Olive), Dina G iunta (Renee), Paula G ard in Judge (M ickey) Heather H un te r (Vera). In back are, from left, Pamela Keyes (Florence), David Stewart (Jesus) and Matthew T im perlay (Manolo). nearly 20 years after the success o f the original fh e Odd Couple. A group o f five women, sitting around a dining room table playing Trivial Pursuit, opens the play. The women quickly identify what stereo types they are conveying, in manner isms and dialogue, but what is novel about these stereotypes is how quickly, beneath the facade o f personality, their impulses as humans bring them to sim ilar actions and reactions. This is brought to light early, when the women receive a phone call from the husband o f their friend Florence, who has not yet arrived at their gettogether. The husband. Sidney, fears the worst after her abrupt disappearance, which followed his announcement that he wants out o f their 14 years o f mar riage. Not long after. Florence arrives at O live's apartment rattled, though not as rattled as her friends: they expect the worst. When Florence goes to the w in dow o f the apartment, her friends think she's going to jum p out. When she goes to the washroom, they think she's going to slit her wrists. Eventually, Florence assures her friends that she doesn' t plan on com mitting suicide and the friends leave, only Florence and Olive remaining. It is apparent early, before even Florence's arrival, that the two women are opposites. Florence loves shopping, dressing, cleaning. Olive, on the other hand, favours sports, her Yankees base ball cap and anything but cleaning. As she says in the play, "when you're dead, they' re gonna throw dirt on you anyway." The tension that results from the two women sharing the apartment leads to the gut o f the play, the actors relying on one another to keep the timing precise. As for the characters they play, the two cantankerous women tear at their rela tionship only to find that it is stronger than they had thought. " It's about friendship," Mustafa said. " I ' ve done this play before, and I loved it. It's one o f those plays the Oakville audience w ill enjoy." It's not hard to imagine the audience enjoying the play, i f the attitudes o f the two leads are anything to go on. Jamie Cortese, who plays Olive, and Pamela Keyes, Florence, have been enjoying the chance to play these characters that represent the extremes in everyone. They have also been pleased to work with Mustafa on this play. "The dialogue's very well-written." Keyes said. " It's easy dialogue to play, and it's a little o ff the wall." Cortese was more impressed by Mustafa's work than the work o f the playwright. A relative newcomer to the atre. she said. " I have never been direct ed before until I met Yo. He almost makes me feel like I can act." Watching the rehearsal. Mustafa has worked some sort o f magic to make everyone else also believe that Cortese can act. Mustafa's talents have never been questioned though. His production o f Fiddler on the Roof last season picked up several ODS awards at their annual awards night recently. I f this production goes as well as Mustafa is confident it w ill, he may be adding to his collection o f accolades by this time next year. Having only been a part o f the ODS for five years. WEST is the youngest o f the three groups, and it has a strong, large foundation to build on. It is fitting that they are starting o ff a promising season o f theatre, one that appears to be shaping into a lift-o ff point for the ODS. The Odd Couple (Female Version) w ill be on the stage at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts Sept. 11 -13 and 17-20. Single tickets cost $18 and can be purchased at the OCPA box office or by calling 905-815-2021. SUBARU AlhW heel Drive SUBARU. YOUR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE CAR COMPANY FEATURE OF THE MONTH! 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