Skip To Main Content

The Odd CoupleS

Sayville Players Perform
The Odd CoupleS
For their annual Fall “Bare Bones” production, the Sayville High School Drama Club performed two versions of The Odd Couple over a four-day period. The famous original The Odd Couple—the male version  with Felix and Oscar—written by prolific playwright Neil Simon in 1965, had starred Walter Matthau and Art Carney on Broadway; the updated female version with Florence and Olive, also written by Simon two decades later, starred Rita Moreno and Sally Struthers in the title roles.

Thanks to an abundance of acting talent among the Sayville students, Sayville Players director Steven Hailey decided not only to have his drama troupe perform both versions, he also assembled a third cast for a second female version.  As there were only eight-parts per cast, having three casts allowed twenty-four students the opportunity to stretch their dramatic wings and engage in the flights of fancy with comedy. For years now, the goal of the Sayville drama program, as spearheaded by Hailey, has been to give as many students as possible the chance to enrich their understanding of others by stepping into the shoes of dramatic characters for stage performances.  Time and time again, the Sayville Players have proven they can fill those shoes.

Such was the case with The Odd CoupleS. Three casts in four nights added up to great comedy.

Whether you attended The Odd Couple performances with Florence and Olive performed by the two women’s casts or The Odd Couple with Felix and Oscar (or saw all three casts), you were not disappointed with the hilarious portrayals of these beloved Neil Simon characters. The dynamic chemistry among the actors along with the fast-paced dialog sustained the comic timing, made you forget the performers were high school students, and delivered lively entertainment each night.

While both versions of The Odd Couple had distinct differences, particularly due to gender perspectives, they shared in common the universal truths that focused on challenging friendships among a circle of friends, each with sharply different and sometimes polarizing  personalities. 

Both version were staged with paralleled scenes:

•Gathered around the table for an evening of Trivial Pursuit, good friends Mickey the cop, Sylvie, Vera, and Renee spend a Friday night in Olive Madison’s untidy apartment where they share an evening of game and gossip. When Florence Ungar finally turns up for the game with news that her marriage is over …

•Gathered around the table for an evening of Poker, good friends Murray the cop, Speed, Vinnie, and Roy spend a Friday night in Oscar Madison’s untidy apartment where they share an evening of low-stakes gambling and gossip. When Felix Ungar finally turns up for the game with news that his marriage is over…

Yet each cast delivered a fresh energy to the performance. Congratulations to the young ladies and young men who demonstrated maturity, ability, and comedy in every one of their believable performances.

(Please click on the folders in the navigator bar at left to see many more photos from each night's performances.)

Women
Wednesday Cast: Mickey- Gabby Medeck; Sylvie –Christina La Froscia; Vera - Emma Vall; Olive-Dea Ahlgrim; Florence- Kaitlyn Maher; Manolo Costazuela –Chris Quartuccio; Jesus Costazuela- Alex Maksimiak

Friday Cast: Mickey- Gabby Medeck; Sylvie –Meghan Fawcett; Vera – Zoe Rivera; Olive-Emily Llewellyn; Florence- Angelina Kellar; Manolo Costazuela –Alex Pittari; Jesus Costazuela- Shaun Gibbons

Men
Thursday/Saturday Cast: Murray- James Velazquez; Speed –Otto Cooley; Vinnie – Reese Pena; Oscar-Jamie Baio; Felix- Dylan Finder; Gwendolyn Pigeon –Gina Mizzi; Cecily Pigeon- Samantha LoGrippo

Snippets of Simon in “Simon Says”

Each night as a prelude to The Odd Couple four Sayville Players reenacted four one-person scenes from several of Simon’s other famous plays.  These samplers from Simon’s The Star Spangled Girl, Plaza Suite, and Prisoner of Second Avenue (performed by Isabella Artz, Elizabeth Campbell, Angela Earvolino, and Angelina Salemi) whetted audiences appetites for  The Odd Couple. (See photos below.)