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opprairie.com life & Arts
The orland park prairie | October 11, 2018 | 27
South suburban cast excited to present classic comedy
Cody Mroczka
Contributing Editor
Auditions had already
commenced and rehearsals
were well underway for the
Tinley Park-Park District
community theater group
when the bad news came in
late August.
Legendary playwright Neil
Simon, whose 1965 Broadway
hit “The Odd Couple”
the south suburban cast are
scheduled to perform later in
October, had died at the age
of 91.
For many of the Tinley
Park, Orland Park, and Mokena
actors and actresses, the
opportunity to perform in the
classic comedy, considered
to be one of Simon’s finest
works, was a factor that enticed
them to the stage of the
Tinley Park Performing Arts
Center.
If anything, the sudden loss
of inspiration has elevated
the cast of eight along with
two directors and a producer
to reach for new heights in a
work that has been redeveloped
on stage and on the television
screen numerous times
over the years.
This production takes a few
artistic liberties as well while
remaining true to the core of
the story of two mismatched
male roommates Felix and
Oscar played by Bruce Spielbauer,
of Orland Park, and
Neal Goldman, of Willow
Springs, going through the
everyday challenges of life.
“This is one of his (Simon’s)
biggest in a huge career,”
Spielbauer said. “He
was an incredibly talented
writer. He’s sharp enough
that the laughs come every 22
seconds. Everything has to be
on the money.”
For example, directors
Mike Gandy and Bob Szczepanski
selected Paige Depaola,
of Tinley Park, and
Joanna Leafblad, of Orland
Park, to play two of the roommates’
poker buddies in the
More information…
“The Odd Couple”
presented by the Tinley
Park-Park District Theater
Admission: $12
Shows are to be held at:
7:30 p.m., Oct. 19; 7:30
p.m., Oct. 20; 7:30 p.m.,
Oct. 27; and 3 p.m., Oct.
28
Where: Tinley Park
Performing Arts Center,
16801 S. 80th Avenue
Phone: (708) 342-4200
role of Vi (formerly Vinnie)
and Speed, roles normally
played by male counterparts.
“We’re pulling out all the
stops,” Szczepanski said.
“Community theatre is supposed
to be fun.”
Leafblad, whose previously
performed with an Orland
Park improv group, relishes
the opportunity to play a
snarky, sarcastic “one of the
guys.”
“This is kind of the role
I’ve always wanted,” said
Depaola, who puffs on a fake
cigar and is mostly concerned
with the poker game during
the play. “I’ve never seen it,
but I’ve really fallen in love
with it.”
Linda Terborg, of Tinley
Park, and Sherry Carbonara,
of Orland Park, were cast to
play the Pigeon sisters, who
live in the same apartment
building as Felix and Oscar
and agree to a date that “may
or may not go real well,”
Carbonara said. Another liberty
taken by the directors is
having the two women play
the customized roles of twin
sisters from England.
“[Simon] was a genius
wordsmith,” Terborg said
of the play’s dialogue. “He
knew what he was doing.”
For Neal Goldman, who
plays the sloppy, disheveled
Oscar to Spielbauer’s clean
freak, obsessive compulsive
Felix, this was a chance to
LEFT TO RIGHT: Linda Terborg, of Tinley Park, Bruce Spielbauer, of Orland Park and Sherry Carbonara, of Orland Park,
rehearse a scene from “The Odd Couple” on Sept. 28 at the Tinley Park Performing Arts Center.
PHOTOS BY CODY MROCZKA/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
play a character he’s been
closely associated.
“My wife said, ‘This role
was made for you,’” Goldman
said. “It’s my life. I’m
very similar to Oscar. To me
it’s about friendship, even
though they have nothing in
common.”
Longtime director Mike
Gandy said this is what community
theatre is all about:
professionals and amateurs
alike buying into their characters,
working together to
achieve on-stage chemistry,
and putting on quality productions.
“We’re trying to get the
word out that you don’t have
to go downtown and pay $70-
$80 to see a play,” Gandy
said. “You can see a professional
production with dedicated
actors and actresses
right here in Tinley Park.”
LEFT TO RIGHT: Neal Goldman, Joanna Leafblad, Stan Staszak and Paige Depaola act
out one of the poker game scenes from Neil Simon’s classic play, to be performed by the
group on Oct. 19, 20, 27 and 28 in Tinley Park.