The Connection

The Little Theatre of Alexandria is presenting "The Odd Couple" (The Female Version) from now through May 16. Unger and Madison are at it again — Florence Unger and Olive Madison, that is — in Neil Simon’s comic classic. The comedy has been reinvented from a different perspective as the women take over the roles of the mismatched couple to give this well-known play a whole new life.

Director Joanna Henry said she wanted to direct the show because it presents life experiences in a humorous way, and the last three plays she's directed were dramas with serious plot points. "This version of 'The Odd Couple' is comical, physical, and fast-paced," she said. "The situations may be exaggerated, but they're based on reality."

What she was trying to accomplish with the play was "that we need to take ourselves less seriously and enjoy our friendships, with all their faults," she said. "By the end of the play, Olive and Florence have both changed a bit and grown a bit — two mismatched friends who accept each other for who they are."

She said her biggest challenge in directing was to keep the pacing crisp. "Neil Simon's dialogue was written to be snappy so when it lags, it's very obvious. We've all worked hard to maintain that fast pace without ignoring the calmer, more subtle moments in the play. Balancing that has been tricky," she said.

As far as audience takeaways, she said, "Accept people as they are; love them for who they are." She said the women in the play are forced to agree on one thing — "they may not be the best of roommates, but they still are the best of friends."

Jennifer Pagnard plays the role of Florence Unger, a neurotic neatnik whose 14-year marriage has just ended. "I'm personally not a slob, but I'm certainly not a neatnik," she said. "I actually can relate personally to Olive much more than Florence.

She said the script is one of the funniest she's encountered. "I hope audiences will truly enjoy themselves and be able to relate to the crazy, touching, real life friendship between Olive and Florence," she said.

Michelle Fletcher plays the role of Mickey the cop, a fierce friend who genuinely cares for her gang and is quick to rush to their aid with all of her professional expertise, even when she disagrees with their choices.

Her challenge in playing Mickey was "keeping a straight face while delivering or hearing hilarious lines," she said. "What I hope the audience takes away are aching ribs from laughing and real enjoyment of a great play with a great cast and a great production team."

Philip Krzywicki plays the role of Manolo, the older of the two Spanish brothers from Barcelona. "We've lived in the USA for three years now, but sometimes we struggle with the English language and don't fully understand some of the crazy expressions used like, 'You say tomato, I say tomato, you say potato, I say potato,'" he said.

His challenge was capturing a convincing Spanish accent. "Funny thing is that I can speak Spanish fairly well with a decent accent, but somehow speaking English with a Spanish accent has been difficult," he said. "I hope that audiences will have a blast watching the show and will leave with smiles on their faces, but I hope they also come away with an even deeper love and appreciation for the genius writing of Neil Simon."

Brendan Quinn plays the role of Jesus, a Spanish immigrant living in New York and working for a Spanish airline. "He is not great with the English language, and this often creates a barrier between him and the other characters," he said. "What I enjoy about him though is that this never gets him down for long."

He said the most challenging part of the show was keeping his accent consistent. "That and being sure not to crack up at the other hilarious actors," he said.

Kat Sanchez plays the role of Sylvie, a chain smoker who's trying to quit and winds up pregnant at the end of the play; she's also sarcastic, dry, funny and thoughtful. "Sylvie has an interesting relationship with her husband, whom the audience never meets. The dialogue suggests that their marriage lacks romance, but at the end, she's pregnant and thrilled to share the news," she said.

She added: "This is a story about friendship, tolerance and acceptance. I hope the audience can appreciate these women, celebrate their friendships and recognize that no matter what the scenario or personality flaw, these are women who rally around their friends."

The Little Theatre of Alexandria is presenting "The Odd Couple" (The Female Version) through May 16. Show times are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $19 and $22. The venue is located at 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Call the box office at 703-683-0496. Website: www.thelittletheatre.com.