The show runs at Cherry Hill West from Oct. 20 through Oct. 22.
The new auditorium at Cherry Hill High School West will be ringing with laughter this weekend as Cherry Hill West Theater presents its fall play, “The Odd Couple (Female Version).” The play will be performed from Oct. 20 through Oct. 22.
One year after performing “The Outsiders,” a dramatic play with many serious themes, the theater department is putting on a play many members of the cast and crew describe as an episode of a TV sitcom.
“When I was reading up on the show before, it’s kind of like ‘Friends’… but with girls instead of Ross thrown in,” said senior Cameron Dickson, assistant director for the show.
“It feels like an episode of a sitcom,” said junior Griffin Rice, playing the role of Manolo. “When it ends, it doesn’t feel like it has to be the ending. There could be countless more shows with the same characters, but with different plots and different jokes.”
Students in Cherry Hill West’s actor studio class performed scenes from the show last year. Senior Sarah Doran, playing the lead role of Olive, was in the class and had a blast performing “The Odd Couple” scenes.
“I absolutely fell in love with the show, and I loved the script,” Doran said.
The female version of “The Odd Couple” is a comedy centered around two characters, Olive and Florence, and their friends. Florence, recently separated from her husband, moves in with Olive. The two characters’ opposite personalities soon begin to clash
This year’s play has a very different cast than “The Outsiders.” There are only eight characters in “The Odd Couple,” while “The Outsiders” had a much larger number of primary and secondary characters.
The makeup of the cast is also different. Instead of doing the original form of “The Odd Couple,” Cherry Hill West is performing the female version of the show. The plot is nearly the same as the original, but the gender of the characters is different.
“Last year, ‘The Outsiders’ was a predominantly male cast,” director Kate McWilliams said. “So this year we thought we’d change it up and do something that was more predominantly female.”
One of the most enjoyable parts of the show for the characters is the comedy. All of the characters are unique in their own way, and all of them have their own comedic parts built into the show.
“This is by far the funniest show I’ve ever been in,” said senior Sammy Yellen, playing the role of Sylvie. “When we sat down for the initial read through, we were just laughing through the entire thing.”
Junior Isabella Bello, playing the role of Mickey, said the show’s humor has helped contribute to the cast’s close relationship.
“The humor just makes us closer,” Bello said. “When people are laughing and joking, it brings them together. Not just in the show, but when the show is off.”
The cast feels the show is something people of all ages can enjoy. Senior Sydney Kramer, playing the role of Renee, described “The Odd Couple” as a show for anyone from middle school age and up. Sophomore McKenna Paulin, playing the role of Vera, said the show has a script and themes people of all ages can understand.
“It’s really relatable,” Paulin said. “It’s realistic. It’s just friends hanging out.”
“The Odd Couple” will be performed at 7 p.m. on Oct. 20, 21 and 22. There will also be a 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 22. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and $5 for seniors with a gold card. To purchase tickets, visit www.showtix4u.com.
