THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon
directed by T.J. Walsh
THEATRE THREE, DALLAS"
The Odd Couple opened at Theatre Three on Monday
under the direction of T.J. Walsh, who was responsible for Theatre Three's splendid Metamorphoses. This one, of course, requires two top bananas with oodles of comic gifts.
Mr. Walsh has provided them in the persons of Doug Jackson as the grumpy slob Oscar Madison and Bob Hess as the prissy neatnik Felix Ungar. Both actors are equally accomplished at the broadest humor and the most natural realism, and they call on both styles here. In
The Odd Couple the jokes are genuinely funny and still sound fresh after 40 years. The important thing here is that Mr. Jackson and Mr. Hess know how to sling the jokes and score with them. The production gets a lot of tis deluxe feel from the great supporting cast. They'll all leave you convinced that Mr. Simon knew best when he stayed lightest."
Lawson Taitte, Dallas Morning News* * * *
"The Odd Couple is now back in a sturdy, pleasant production at Theatre Three.
Directed by T.J. Walsh, this Odd Couple gets its best laughs from the silences between Simon's punch lines. Doug Jackson (Oscar) and Bob Hess (Felix), their characters' friendship strained by Felix's obsessive-coompulsive tidiness, begen the second act with a 10-minute pantomimed war over personal boundaries. Oscar strides up and over thw furniture, kicking everything in his path. Felix tries to eat a plate of linguini, which Oscar heaves onto the wall. All a bit Niles v. Frasier Crane, but
masterfully staged and acted. Simon says, see it again if you need to laugh it out for a few hours."
Elaine Liner, Dallas Observer