The Odd Couple

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courtesy Sun Prairie Civic Theatre

A finger in the face as someone gets yelled at.

"The Odd Couple," Sun Prairie Civic Theatre, 2023.

“Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?” The original Neil Simon play incarnation of The Odd Couple — which spawned both film and TV adaptations — is perhaps his best work, with some of that witty playwright's most indelible lines. For those who don't know the setup: Divorced sportswriter and slob Oscar Madison and news writer and obsessive/compulsive Felix Ungar end up sharing an apartment. Felix also gets a divorce. It's all very New York, and an obvious precursor to Seinfeld. Simon hits on universal themes about friendship, marriage and difficult personalities. This Sun Prairie Civic Theatre production shows at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 3-4 and 10-11; and 2 p.m., Feb. 12.

Sun Prairie Civic Theatre production, 7:30 pm on 2/3-4 & 10-11 and 2 pm, 2/12, Central Heights Middle School, Sun Prairie East High School. $20 ($15 ages 18 & under).

media release: Can two best friends who become roommates learn to livewith irreconcilable differences? And, perhaps more importantly, will the weekly poker night with their buddies ever be the same? Audiences will find out when Sun Prairie Civic Theatre presents Neil Simon’s classic comedy “The Odd Couple.” Performances are February 3 through 12 at the Central Heights Theater, located inside Central Heights Middle School in Sun Prairie.

 Decades after it premiered on Broadway in 1965, the story of “The Odd Couple” continues to remain popular and connect with audiences. The story revolves around two friends, both separated from their wives and working through what that means for their identities, finances, friendships and dating lives. Oscar is a recently divorced sportswriter who hosts a weekly poker night with a group of buddies and lives like a slob. And Felix, a tightly-wound, slightly neurotic news writer who doesn’t know what to do after being thrown out by his wife after 12 years of marriage.

Director Amber DePetro says the show remains relevant because at its core the story is about friendship and family. “The people we love the most also tend to be the ones that can also drive us the craziest.” DePetro said. “And that’s what people end up connecting with as they watch the story unfold.”

Performances are February 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. and February 12 at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Central Heights Theater located inside Central Heights Middle School at 220 Kroncke Drive in Sun Prairie. General admission tickets are $20 for adults; $17 for seniors, 60 years old and over and active military; and $15 for youth ages 18 years old or younger.

Tickets may be purchased prior to the performances online at sunprairiecivictheatre.com. Tickets will also be sold at each performance. The production is presented through special arrangement with Samuel French, New York City, New York.

Sun Prairie Civic Theatre (SPCT) is a community of volunteers who have been sharing their time and talent to educate people of all ages in the experience of live theater on stage, backstage and in the audience since 1970. Anyone interested in getting involved or supporting the organization can learn more at sunprairiecivictheatre.com.