NEW IPSWICH — After performing in several Shakespeare plays over the past couple of years, the Mascenic High School Drama Club is ready for a change of pace with its rendition of Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple.”

What makes the play different is that the lead roles of Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison are being played by two young women.

“This is challenging,” says Amber Morrill, who stars in the role of Olive Madison, a lonely divorcee who just wants to have fun. “I’m a slob in real life. This role suits me very well.”
Morrill says she runs into an old friend named Florence Ungar — played by actress Ashley Logan — in an elevator, where their friendship is rekindled. When they meet, Florence is suicidal because her husband plans to divorce her.

“Olive takes me in and we fight about everything,” says Logan, but especially over the fact that Olive’s house is a pigsty and Florence has made it her mission to clean it up. “I get to yell at her a lot,” says Morrill. “It’s very nice.”

Much of the play takes place during Olive’s weekly game of Trivial Pursuit with a group of friends. This time, she invites two men whom she is interested in getting to know better.

“The Spanish sexy guys are our dates,” says Morrill. “Olive wants a guy over for dinner. She just wants to have friends.”

“I get to be one of the Spanish guys,” says David Thurston, who, along with the other Spanish guy, Jesus — played by Shawn Thibault — is trying to cheer a distraught Florence up.

Throughout the even-ing, Morrill says, Olive and Florence argue about everything, including the fact that Florence puts toilet paper between her toes every single night as a means of drying her nail polish and that Olive has accidentally dropped her false eyelashes into Florence’s pancake batter.

“I complain that we have no fun,” says Morrill.

Vera, played by Julie Forest is also at the table playing Trivial Pursuit.

“She’s a little slow,” says Morrill.

That’s something Forest readily admits.

“I am slow,” she says.

“...but sweet,” interjects Tom Dunn, Mascenic’s new drama coach.

According to Dunn, he was given only one directive when he came on board.

“The faculty, kids and parents said ‘No more Shakespeare,’” says Dunn, who readily obliged.

“We spent the fall reading through 15 different plays,” Dunn says, before settling on the female version of “The Odd Couple.” “What struck me from day one is that there are a wonderful group of women actors here. The play is perfect.”

With several of the actors away on April vacation, Dunn says he is grateful to understudies Aaron Carroll and Brenna Pasieka who have taken the time to learn most of the roles so that they can fill in at a moment’s notice. On Friday, Pasieka was tasked with performing three separate roles. When both teens aren’t rehearsing as understudies, Dunn says they enjoy working backstage.

Other students who will be acting in the play, which will be performed on May 6 and May 7, are Katie Friedman, Xavier Guay and Heather Norstram. The play starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.