North Coast Repertory Theatre presents THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon, directed by Andrew Barnicle. The show runs now through May 12, 2013, after a one-week extension!
In this Tony Award-winning comic masterpiece, Neil Simon created two of the most memorable characters in the history of Broadway and broadcast television: Oscar Madison and Felix Unger. Discover (or rediscover) the genius of the original play that has become a high water mark that is strived for by comedy writers to this day. North Coast Rep's first production of a Neil Simon play since 1999.
Featuring:
Matt Thompson* (Oscar)Ticket prices: $37 - $54 (Senior/Student & Military discount save $3.00 per ticket with valid I.D. off regular ticket prices. and North Coast Repertory Theatre subscribers save $5.00 off regular prices.)
Regular show times are Wednesdays at 7:00pm, Thursday - Saturday at 8:00pm, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 2:00pm and Sunday evenings at 7:00pm.
Tickets for The Odd Couple are available only at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach at 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Suite D, 92075. Box Office hours are Noon to 4PM daily and Noon to Curtain day of shows. Call 858-481-1055 for tickets or visit www.northcoastrep.org.
The director of this production is Andrew Barnicle.
The cast of this production includes:
Matt Thompson* (Oscar)
Louis Lotorto* (Felix)
Bernard X. Kopsho* (Murray)
John Nutten (Speed)
Cris O'Bryon (Vinnie)
Albert Park (Roy)
Callie Prendiville (Cecily Pigeon)
Amanda Schaar (Gwendolyn Pigeon)
The design team of this production includes:
Marty Burnett (Scenic Design)
Matt Novotny (Light Design)
Sonia Lerner (Costume Design)
Danita Lee (Assistant Costume Design)
Chris Luessmann (Sound Design)
Annie Bornhurst (Props and Set Dressing)
Peter Herman (Hair and Wig Design)
The crew of this production includes:
Jason Nall (Production Manager)
Ryan Ford* (Stage Manager/Assistant Production Manager)
John Finkbiner (Scenic Artist)
Hope Jones (Production Assistant)
Vanessa Thomas (Production Assistant)
*The actor or stage manger appears through the courtesy of Actor's Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.
BIOS:
Neil Simon (playwright, born July 4, 1927, Bronx, New York)Neil Simon has written 28 plays and holds the record for the greatest number of hits in the American theater. He has had more plays adapted to film than any other playwright, and additionally has written nearly a dozen original film comedies. He helped define television comedy during the medium's legendary early days. In the theater, at the movies, and at home he has kept America laughing for more than 40 years and has been rewarded with four Tony Awards, two Emmys, a Screen Writers Guild Award, and a Pulitzer Prize.
Marvin Neil Simon grew up in Washington Heights, a product of a marriage that saw its share of turbulence. After graduating from public school, he enlisted in the Army and began his career writing for an Army camp newspaper. A week later, armistice was declared. After discharge, he returned to New York and became a mailroom clerk for Warner Brothers' East Coast office. Soon he was writing comedy revues with his brother Danny in the Poconos, then for radio, providing material for the likes of Tallulah Bankhead, and finally, for television, where he helped make Phil Silvers, Jackie Gleason, Red Buttons, Garry Moore, Sid Caesar, and Imogene Coca funny.
Caesar and Coca, of course, were the stars of "Your Show of Shows," the nation's weekly variety show addiction from 1950-54, where Simon and his brother toiled alongside fellow budding talents Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, and Larry Gelbart. But the theater was his destiny and it was there that he and his brother continued their partnership, contributing sketches to a couple of Broadway musicals in the mid-fifties. Eventually he broke out on his own and, after countless drafts, completed a comedy about two brothers who don't want to take over their father's fruit business. Come Blow Your Horn (1961) racked up 677 performances on Broadway and hinted at a promising career. Two years later, Barefoot in the Park fulfilled the promise and launched a legend.
Throughout the '60s and '70s, Simon would turn out hit after hit for the stage and screen, most of them depicting life in and about New York City -- Manhattan, Brighton Beach, Yonkers, Riverside Drive, Second Avenue, Central Park West. Think of the Simon canon -- The Odd Couple (1965), Sweet Charity (1966), Plaza Suite (1968), The Out of Towners (1970), Promises, Promises (1968), The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1971), The Goodbye Girl (1993), Chapter Two (1977) -- and you get a clear, sharp, and very funny picture of the people crazy and lucky enough to call New York home.
In the '80s Simon produced his landmark autobiographical trilogy -- Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983), Biloxi Blues (1985), and Broadway Bound (1986), which chronicled his stormy childhood, Army days, and entry into show business. Now Simon was not only getting the laughs, he was also getting the awards. He crowned this streak with Lost in Yonkers, which won the Pulitzer Price in 1991. Perhaps the secret to Simon's success is his ability, brilliantly displayed in those four plays but evident from the very beginning, to show us -- between, in, and around the funny lines -- the pain, aspiration, and sheer panic behind all those unforgettable characters.
Currently his newest play, London Suite, is a hit -- naturally -- in New York. And the city which has figured so prominently in his life and work has honored him by making him the only living playwright for whom a Broadway theater is named.
Andrew Barnicle (Director)Andrewserved as artistic director of The Laguna Playhouse from 1991 through 2010. In that time he produced over 100 Playhouse shows and directed over 40 of them, including many World, U.S., West Coast and Southern California premieres. Recent directing projects include Shirley Valentine at the Falcon Theatre, Chapter Two at the Laguna Playhouse, The Irish Curse at the Odyssey Theatre, Blame It On Beckett at the Colony Theatre, Noel Coward's Private Lives at the Rubicon Theatre Company, Ron Hutchinson's Moonlight and Magnolias at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and the Colony, and The Lion In Winter at North Coast Rep in San Diego, He has also directed at San Diego's Theatre at Old Town, Michigan's Meadow Brook Theatre, and San Jose Repertory Theatre.
The Cast:
Matt Thompson* (Oscar) Select San Diego acting credits: Dead Man's Cell Phone (Moxie Theatre); THIS, Don't Dress for Dinner, Over the Tavern, Dracula, Leading Ladies, A Thousand Clowns (North Coast Rep), Terra Nova (Compass Theatre); Cold Comfort Farm (Lamb's Players), Shear Madness (The Theatre in Old Town). TV credits: C.S.I, Veronica Mars, Fashion House, Cover Me, Dharma and Greg, Watch Over Me, 18 Wheels of Justice, The Invisible Man, and Baywatch. Select directing credits include: The Car Plays (La Jolla Playhouse); A Christmas Carol, TEd Williams: A Tip of the Cap, Mistletoe, Music & Mayhem!, King 'O the Moon (North Coast Rep); Moonlight & Magnolias (Scripps Ranch Theatre); A Roman Holiday, If the Shoe Fits (Coronado Playhouse). Matt is a published playwright with over twenty titles in print through Dramatic, Heuer, and Norman Maine Publishing. His play David & Goliath was commissioned by The San Diego Rep and was presented during the Lipinsky Jewish Arts Festival in 2009. He was also commissioned to co-write Mistletoe, Music & Mayhem! which ran at NCRT during the 2010 and 2011 holiday seasons. Partially underwritten by The San Diego Hall of Champions Museum, North Coast Rep commissioned Matt to write the one person show TEd Williams: A Tip of the Cap which received a sold-out workshop production run in 2011.Matt currently serves as the New Play Development Director at ion Theatre.Louis Lotorto* (Felix) A native of Seattle and proud member of Actors' Equity, has worked in regional theatre primarily along the I-5 corridor for 25 years. He is thrilled to be working at North Coast Rep for the first time and is grateful to David Ellenstein remembering him from 20 years ago where they met in Portland, Oregon doing shows at the now defunct Portland Repertory Theatre. This is also Louis' third show with one of his favorite directors, Andy Barnicle, having been directed by him as Charlie in The Foreigner at San Jose Repertory Theatre and as Jim Foley in Blame it on Beckett at The Colony Theatre in Burbank. Regional credits include The Shakespeare Theatre Co. in Washington, D.C.(Helen Hayes Award Nomination for Ariel in The Tempest), 2 years with The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 4 years with the California Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Artists' Repertory Theatre(Drama Critic's Circle Award for Ned in The Normal Heart/ Destiny of Me), A.C.T. in Seattle, Contemporary American Theatre Festival and Sierra Repertory Theatre. In and around L.A. where Louis resides, credits include many plays at A Noise Within(L.A. Ovation Award Nomination for Camille in A Flea in her Ear), Ensemble Theatre Company, The Odyssey, Rubicon, Colony, International City and Norris Theatres and The Ahmanson Theatre in An Enemy of the People(with Sir Ian McKellen). Louis has also done extensive voice-over work for various books-on-tape, video games and narration and can be heard as Jesus in the recently released TNIV audio Bible produced by Zondervan. www.louislotorto.com
Bernard X. Kopsho* (Murray) Bernie returns to North Coast Rep following his performances in last season's Lend Me a Tenor (Tito) and Henry IV, Part 1 (Sir John Falstaff.) A San Diego native, Bernie has been appearing on local stages for over thirty years. All gratitude to David, Andy, Actors' Equity and his darling Samantha.
John Nutten (Speed) This is John's third production with North Coast Repertory Theatre. Most recently John played Richard in NCRT's critically acclaimed production of Time Stands Still by Donald Marguiles. John also appeared at NCRT in Breaking Legs in 2004. John's local theatre credits include, A Prayer for My Daughter at 6th & Penn Theatre, 1776 at Lamb's Player's Theatre, Twelfth Night with New Village Arts, Rounding Third at Scripps Ranch Theatre, and most recently Zoot Suit with SDRT. John received his bachelor's degree at UCLA's school of Film, Television and Theatre. John has various Film & Television credits as well as local theatre. Most recently John was seen on Showtime's The Big C. John would like to thank Andy Barnacle & David Ellenstein for this opportunity, and is eternally grateful to his wonderful wife Charlene for her unwavering support!
Cris O'Bryon (Vinnie) Regional: Chasing the Song, Midsummer Night's Dream, Bonnie & Clyde, Farnsworth Invention (La Jolla Playhouse); Constant Wife, Grinch, Odyssey (Old Globe); Storyville, Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea (San Diego REP); Brooklyn Boy (SRT); The Rat Pack (BroadwaySD); Forever Plaid, Beehive (Old Town); Footloose, Dreamgirls!(SDMT); Altar Boyz, Full Monty (Welk); Susan&God, Festival of Christmas (Lamb's Players); Legally Blonde, Beau Jest,Phantom, I Love a Piano! (Moonlight). TOUR: Song on the Wind (New Life Fine Arts) Forbidden Broadway (across the US). He teaches a voice/piano/acting studio for all levels, and daily improv with his 3-year old girl, Avery.
Albert Park (Roy) Albert is thrilled to be back at North Coast Repertory Theatre after playing one of his all-time favorite roles as Bellhop in Lend Me a Tenor. Other recent roles include Jonathan in a staged reading of A Lonely Boy's Guide to Survival (and Werewolves) (La Jolla Playhouse),Lionel in Pho Donut (Scripps Ranch Theatre), Gabe in A Man, His Wife, and His Hat (MOXIE Theatre), Cuong in The Car Plays (Moving Arts/La Jolla Playhouse), Tieng-Bin in Golden Child (Chinese Pirate Productions), Steve in GAM3RS: the Play (GAM3RS), Chi-Yang in Flower Drum Song, HYH in Yellow Face (Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company) and Lefty in BFE (SDAART). In June, Albert will be playing Sopoan in Extraordinary Chambers at Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company. He lives with his wonderful and talented wife, Jenny, in San Diego. Mr. Park wishes to thank David Ellenstein, Andrew Barnicle, and The Odd Couple cast and crew, for another unforgettable experience.
Callie Prendiville (Cecily Pigeon) Callie is thrilled to be making her debut at North Coast Rep. Other San Diego credits include Abigail in The Crucible (a MOXIE-Intrepid Shakespeare co-production), Pirates of Penzance with the Lyric Opera San Diego, and the world premier of Re-Drowning Ophelia with the Playwright's Project at the Lyceum. Los Angeles area credits include Mayella in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Long Beach Playhouse, u/s Georgiana Darcy in Pride and Prejudice at South Coast Repertory, and Kurogo in Madame Butterfly at the Los Angeles Opera. Callie holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of San Diego and has since trained at South Coast Repertory, the American Conservatory Theater, and the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. Many thanks to NCR for the opportunity and much love to Brian.
Amanda Schaar (Gwendolyn Pigeon) Ms. Schaar is proud and delighted to be making her NCRT debut. Based in Chicago, Ms. Schaar was most recently seen in the US premiere of The Pitmen Painters (Jeff Award Best Play, Jeff Nominated Best Ensemble), and The Front Page (Jeff Nominated Best Ensemble) at Timeline Theatre; as well as the East Coast tour of the improvisational group Child's Play. Other regional work includes Measure for Measure, and Richard II (Poor Players); Tartuffe, Othello, Winter's Tale, As You Like It, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Cyrano de Bergerac - directed by David Ellenstien - (Southwest Shakespeare Co.); Alice in Wonderland (Phoenix Theatre); Tale of Two Cities (Childsplay); as well as work with Remy Bumppo, Northwestern University, Stray Cat Theatre, Shakespeare Sedona, and the experimental Teatro Caliente Festival. Ms. Schaar holds a BFA in Theatre, Acting, from Arizona State University (also the first producer of her absurdist comedy Rummy Starker Love Fest.) For Darling, always.
The design team for this production is:
Marty Burnett (Scenic Designer) Marty has designed for North Coast Rep for the last 144 shows. Mr. Burnett has designed sets for the Union Plaza, Sahara, and Hacienda Hotels and Casinos in Las Vegas; Harrah's Lake Tahoe; The Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ; The Grand Hotel in Anaheim; and The Drury Lane in Chicago. Mr. Burnett is the resident designer and technical director at North Coast Rep.Matthew Novotny (Lighting Designer) Matthew recently designed the lighting for Time Stands Still, Educating Rita, The Underpants, Dames at Sea, Two by Pinter: The Lover and The Dumb Waiter, THIS, Visiting Mister Green, Lend Me A Tenor, Five Course Love, My Name is Asher Lev, King O' the Moon, Ghosts, Glorious, I Love You Because, Old Wicked Songs, Rabbit Hole, Shipwrecked!, The Dresser, Don't Dress for Dinner, Mornings at Seven, Baby and Rashomon at North Coast Rep. He's currently the Director of Production for Lyric Opera San Diego. Lighting designs include: Iolanthe, The Merry Widow, The King and I, Countess Maritza, and The Mikado. San Diego: Das Barbecu, The Wiz, West Side Story and Rumors. Regional: Yankee Doodle Dandy (Seattle), Noises Off! (Boston), The Game, (Washington DC) and Primal Twang, a guitar concert featuring six Grammy-winning artists. Matthew holds a BA in Technical Theatre from San Diego State University, and an MFA from Boston University.
Sonia Lerner (Costume Design) As an L.A. based Costume Designer, Sonia comes back to San Diego for her fourth show here at NCR! Her other shows here at NCR were Time Stands Still, Lend Me a Tenor (nominated for Best Costume Design at the San Diego Critics Choice Awards 2011), and Becky's New Car. Recently, she designed costumes for Caesars Entertainment's new observation wheel, The High Roller, set to open in Las Vegas late 2013 at The Linq. Sonia also takes on many independent films both in L.A. and San Diego, and looks forward to further mixing her career with different outlets of costume design! www.SoniaElizabethDesign.com
Chris Luessmann (Sound Design) Chris' favorite NCR designs include: Dracula and A Christmas Carol, for which he won Patté Awards, King O' the Moon, Gee's Bend, Over the Tavern, JaquesBrel..., The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Baby, and Voice of the Prairie. Off-Broadway: The Third Story. Miracle Theatre Productions: Das Barbecu, Too Old for the Chorus, and Forbidden Broadway SVU. Moonlight Stage Productions: Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors, The Marvelous Wonderettes, The Magic Fire, Moon Over Buffalo. La Jolla Playhouse: Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays,Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. Scripps Ranch Theatre: Red Herring. UCSD: Angels in America, Full Circle, Eurydice, Labyrinth of Desire, Cabaret, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, and The Skin of Our Teeth. Chris holds a BA in Theatre from UCLA, and an MFA in Theatre from UC San Diego.
Annie Bornhurst (Props & Set Dressing) North Coast Repertory Theatre: Time Stands Still, Educating Rita, Words By..., The Underpants, Dames at Sea, Two by Pinter: The Lover and The Dumb Waiter, THIS, Visiting Mister Green, The Lion in Winter, Heroes, Lend Me a Tenor, My Name is Asher Lev, King O' the Moon, The Drawer Boy, Gee's Bend, Becky's New Car, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Voice of the Prairie, Ghosts, Little Women, Glorious!, A Christmas Carol, Talley's Folly, I Love You Because, Don't Dress for Dinner, Over the Tavern, Old Wicked Songs, Rabbit Hole. Actors Circle Theatre: The View from Here. The Sanford
Meisner Center: Frankie and Johnny, Babes and Brides.
Danita Lee (Assistant Costume Design) Originally from the Bay Area, Danita has found herself quite enamored with the San Diego theatre scene. A recent UCSD grad, she has had the chance to design in mostly academic settings; thus, she is very grateful to Alina and Judith Dolan for this wonderful opportunity to see and learn how the professionals do it! It's been a whirlwind of stress and fun! To this day, she is most proud of her work with UCSD's Muir Musical and Nomads Theatre Company, especially for Rent and the annual Asian American Theatre Festival. Other credits include Blasted (ion theatre). Much love to the Lee family, Michael J. and Franklin, and, of course, SW. Enjoy!
Peter Herman (Hair and Wig Design)
The crew for this production is:
Jason Nall (Production Manager) Jason is in his first season with North Coast Rep. Previously, he was production manager with The Cutting Ball Theatre, where he worked on their award-winning Pelleas and Melisande, Tontlawald, and Tenderloin, a documentary piece of the famous San Francisco neighborhood. He was also the resident PM for Crowded Fire Theatre Company (Exit, Pursued by a Bear; Songs of the Dragon Flying to Heaven; The Secretaries) and served as production manager for Boxcar Theatre (Clue), and Lamplighters Music Theatre (Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, Mikado). He is also an AEA stage manager, working for San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program, The Magic Theatre, and Berkeley Playhouse. He has also participated in several new works, including Cybil Shepherd's one-woman show Curvy Widow, Lou Harrison's Young Caesar with Ensemble Parallèle, and Mark Foeringer Dance Project's Bitter Fruit. Originally from Claremont, CA, he has a BA in Criminology from UC Irvine.Ryan Ford (Stage Manager*/Associate Production Manager) Ryan is thrilled to be on staff here at NCRT as the Associate Production Manager. Previous works at NCRT include: as a sound mixer; Dames at Sea, Honky Tonk Angels, and Back to Bacharach and David; as ASM or PA; Dracula, String of Pearls, Madagascar, A Shayna Maidel, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Leading Ladies. Around San Diego, Ryan has worked as a stage manager at several theatre companies including Moxie, ion, Diversionary, Cygnet, Playwrights Project, and San Diego Rep. Favorite productions include Twist (Diversionary), A Hammer A Bell and A Song to Sing (SDRep), and Angels in America (ion). Ryan holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from UCSD. Love and thanks to his fabulous fiancée, Sammi, for long days and late nights.
John Finkbiner (Scenic Artist) John has been a member of the NCR staff for nearly three years. His favorite shows are Halpern and Johnson, SHIPWRECKED!, The Dresser and Jacques Brel. John received his BA degree at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television in 1991. John is also an accomplished singer/songwriter and performs with his band, the Stereotypes. His music has been featured on Showtime's "Californication",
Fox's "Bones" and NBC's "Knight Rider", among others. John lives with his wife Judi and his son John Gibson in Leucadia.
Hope Jones (Production Assistant)
Vanessa Thomas (Production Assistant)
About David Ellenstein, Artistic Director of the North Coast Repertory Theatre:
Born into a theatrical family, David has worked in theatres across the country. Before joining North Coast Rep in 2003 he served as Artistic Director for the Los Angeles Repertory Company and the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company (AJTC). A veteran of over 200 theatrical productions, directorial favorites include:
North Coast Rep - Time Stands Still, Words by... Ira Gershwin and the Great American Songbook, Two by Pinter: The Lover and The Dumb Waiter, HENRY IV Part 1, Heroes, My Name is Asher Lev, The Drawer Boy, Becky's New Car, Ghosts, The Tempest, Talley's Folly, Over the Tavern, Old Wicked Songs, The Dresser, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Madagascar, A Shayna Maidel, The Honky Tonk Angels, Rashomon, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Tuesdays With Morrie, Collected Stories, Halpern and Johnson, Romeo and Juliet, Amy's View, Einstein Comes Through (also co-author), The Chosen, A Life in the Theatre, Story Theatre and Charley's Aunt. Coconut Grove Playhouse - Sonia Flew starring Lucy Arnaz; Halpern and Johnson starring Hal Linden and Brian Murray. Papermill Playhouse - The Chosen starring Theodore Bikel and John Lloyd Young. Portland Stage - Halpern and Johnson. Renaissance Theatre - Long Day's Journey Into Night. Actor's Theatre of Phoenix - Rabbit Hole. Alabama Shakespeare Festival - Rocket City (world premiere) and Honky Tonk Angels. Laguna Playhouse - Alexandros (world premiere). Southwest Shakespeare Company - Cyrano de Bergerac. AJTC - Awake and Sing. Meadow Brook Theatre - A Christmas Carol. Pirate Playhouse - Old Wicked Songs and Talley's Folly. Kingsmen Shakespeare - Hamlet. Portland Rep - Conversations With My Father and Gaslamp Quarter Theatre - A Shayna Maidel
Favorite roles as an actor include Jacob Kahn in My Name is Asher Lev, Matt in Talley's Folly at North Coast Rep, title roles in Hamlet at Los Angeles Theatre Center and Los Angeles Repertory Company; Richard III at California Shakespeare Festival; Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof at Moonlight Stages, Einstein in Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Laguna Playhouse; Calisto in The Illusion and Harker in Dracula at the Arizona Theatre Company; Jonathan in Sight Unseen at North Coast Rep and Portland Repertory Theatre.
Film and television credits include over three dozen roles including Star Trek IV, The Practice, Foul Play, Christine Cromwell, Renegade, Eight is Enough, and General Hospital. David has also been guest faculty for numerous universities including California State Northridge, Cal Arts, and Shakespeare workshops privately. David lives with his beautiful wife Denise and their amazing sons Jamie and Will.
North Coast Repertory Theatre is a professional equity theatre founded in 1982. Currently celebrating its 31st season, North Coast Rep has received critical acclaim from media and audiences alike. With the fifth largest operating budget of non profit theatre and employing the third most Actors' Equity Association members (the union of professional actors and stage managers) in San Diego, North Coast Rep continues to produce high quality, award winning theatre and has evolved into one of the area's leading performing arts organizations. Located in Solana Beach, California, NCR not only draws its audience from the North Country region, but 50% of its audience base resides in metro San Diego and throughout Southern California. Recognized for the quality of its work and its commitment to quality, this season will be performed on the Blakistone Stage, dedicated to North Coast Rep founders Olive Blakistone and her departed husband, Tom, who passed away in March of 2009.
Pictured: Matt Thompson and Louis Lotorto. Photo Credit: Ken Jacques.
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