"Prefers vacuuming"
Osterville Attorney Runs Off with Club's 'Odd Couple'
The Register, April 25, 1968
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Play review
THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon:
Cast -
Richard Arms,
Louis Jacobucci,
Jonathan Flynn,
Edward Bender,
John Alger,
Louis Carey.
Joan Baker,
Christina Flynn,
directed by
Isobel Grassle.
This Friday and Saturday nights are the last performances of the most polished play recently performed by the Barnstable Comedy Club.
The polish is due to direction by Isobel Grassle, which could be expected; performance by Louis Cary, which was expected; and a characterization by John Alger which Is a pure gift.
Mr. Alger plays one-half of the Odd Couple.
The other half is Mr. Cary (who does everything, including drawing the playbill cover above).
The program notes say Mr. Alger is the BCC's lawyer, but because of lack of time the part of Oscar Madison is his first lead ln a major production.
Oscar is a divorced slob who takes a fellow divorcee-elect Into his bachelor apartment.
Felix Unger (Mr. Cary) turns out a hypochondrlal fussbudget with egocentric sucldal psychoses.
In other words, he's a Jerk.
The play works on mounting tension on this unlikely cohabitation.
Oscar's idea of normality Is a slovenly poker game to earn his wife's alimony and a night with the girls upstairs.
Felix prefers vacuuming
the apartment, clearing his bronchial tubes, and serving an I immaculate Italian dish. fc
Spaghetti, says Oscar. j
Linguia, corrects Felix. I
Oscar heaves the dish into the 1 dtchen. |
Garbage, says Oscar.
In this nearly two-roie piay, Mr. Cary plays stylishly straight nut to Mr. Alger's wlltlngly funny bolt.
Without Mr. Cary. the other supporting players and the high pitch of professionalism drawn from the club as a whole, Mr. Alger couldn't have stolen the show.
A one set show, the play depends heavily on stage business.
Even this most difficult of exercises works to perfection.
Oscar unbuttoning his shirt, spilling his beer, walking on the sofa, all take place with studied naturalness.
But ln the end it is the Wallace Beery grin, the slightly understated comedy lines, and flawless pace that keep Mr, Alger In charge.
If anything, the holds at last Friday's sellout performance weren't long enough to accommodate the laughts, an enviable problem.
But if Mr. Alger Is stuck with the image of Oscar, his law practice can only suffer, which would be a nice break for the Comedy Club and for Cape theater-goers. H.R.