The Curtain Rises Again

After more than a year with no spotlight to shine upon them, the curtains rose once again for Xaverian’s theater production, The Odd Couple. The play, written by Neil Simon, delves into the aftermath of a heart wrenching breakup. The show begins with the obsessively neat Felix Ungar (senior Tyler Stearns) moving in with his trainwreck of a friend, Oscar Madison (senior C.J. Curtin), another victim of a breakup. These polar opposites soon find out that their personalities clash over the littlest of things, from their Friday night poker games to reminiscing about the past. From fits of laughter and applause to a standing ovation at the end of the show, this hit 1968 comedy buoyed the Xaverian spirit after a tumultuous time of uncertainty, grief, and hopelessness more than 50 years after its original debut. 

Xaverian’s theater director and fine arts teacher, Ms. Julianne O’Connor, described their reunion, saying, “There was a lot of excitement, a ton of energy, and endless laughs! By the time our first read-through of the script came along with the cast and members of our crew, it was all business. We gathered in a big circle onstage with chairs and music stands and got to work. We were back.” After witnessing the immense support of the community, actor Michael Parent stated, “The continued support of the fine arts department, even during those 18 months of no theatrical productions, was immense, and witnessing the culmination of this support during the play further added to our joy.” Standing testament to Xaverian’s unwavering spirit in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, performers from Xaverian and area all-girls schools, masked and unmasked, triumphed once more.