Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE comes to Carrollwood - With a Twist!

According to director Marc S. Sanders, “the only way to find out what else FU stands for is to come see The Odd Couple - Female Version at Carrollwood Players Theatre.”

The popular community theater group is tackling the iconic characters of Unger and Madison with Neil Simon’s female adaptation of his famous original, The Odd Couple, which originated on Broadway and later became a hit movie and TV sitcom.

In this version, we meet Olive Madison and Florence Unger, two women with failed marriages who are just trying to share an apartment without driving each other crazy.

The comedy runs from August 5th - 20th on the Carrollwood Players Mainstage.

In a recent interview, Sanders and Producer Jim Russell provided some background on the play and what makes it so much fun.

“Though Neil Simon originally conceived his renowned play with men as the title characters, he follows the same blueprint with women in the roles. It’s amazing how many of the lines remain intact and apply with the same connotations in some parts, but also take on whole new meanings in this iteration,” Sanders said.

Producer Jim Russell added, “anyone who loved the TV sitcom with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall is going to love some of the touches Marc has added.”

“We’ll be saluting the TV show by lending a dynamic of actually watching a series of episodes that hearken back to the show produced by the legendary Garry Marshall,” said Sanders. “When you come to our production, you’ll not only get a reminder of the show’s iconic theme song, but also what it was like to watch some of those 30 minute episodes. We’ve got some surprises in store!”

In addition to Florence and Olive, audiences will meet their gal pals, who come to Olive’s apartment for a regular weekly Trivial Pursuit match (instead of the poker game in the original version.) And audiences are in for a treat when the two Spanish Costazuela brothers stop by for an awkward date with Flo and Olive. The play is classic Neil Simon comedy from start to finish.

Sanders promised, “whether or not you are familiar with the original Broadway play, the film, or the TV show, The Odd Couple - Female Version is relatable for everyone. We all have close friends that we need in our lives, but at the same time we know we could never share the same living space with those same people.”

He continued, “it’s important to laugh at ourselves when we are pushed to the limits by our friends and family. If we can just find the humor in that, and not take what frustrates us so seriously, then we can feel content with ourselves and one another.”

The Odd Couple - Female Version is on stage at Carrollwood Players Theatre from August 5th through 20th, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Due to high demand for matinee tickets, the group has also added a special matinee performance on Saturday, August 20th at 2 pm.

The theater is also having a special fundraising event on opening night, August 5th. For a $35 donation (in addition to the cost of a show ticket,) guests can join a special pre-show red carpet reception featuring food, drinks, and a visit with the cast and director before the show begins. The fundraiser will support many of the group’s fixed expenses, but they are especially in need of extra revenue this summer, as they are about to replace two ancient rooftop air conditioners that have been misbehaving.

Complete information and tickets for The Odd Couple - Female Version can be found at https://tinyurl.com/oddcwp