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- Neil´s love for comedy stayed with him as he got older.

- His writing was very much inspired by his favorite comics (Comedians)

(Robert Benchley and Ring Lardner.)

- The first ever production of ¨The Odd Couple¨ was on Broadway in March of 1965. (Neil Simon was already a well known playwright.)

First Plays-

Inspiration-

  • One of Neil Simon´s first plays was ¨Come Blow your Horn¨.
  • ¨Come Blow your Horn¨ was called a horn¨ was called a ´modest hit´ (limited and moderate).

  • His older brother Danny- he and his brother were very close.
  • Danny inspired him when they were in their teens to write and they sold their material to comedians and radio shows.
  • His brother encouraged him to write while he was in the US Army Air force Reserve Program and while he was in college.

First Plays...

  • ¨Come Blow your Horn¨ was followed by ¨Barefoot in the park¨ and ¨The Odd Couple¨.
  • His plays evolved from his first because they became more popular and the themes were often Romance.

Summary of ¨The Odd Couple¨

Inspiration...

- A divorced slob invites a group of boys to come over and play cards.

- One guest (who is very cautious and tense) just separated from his wife. The slob and neat- freak share an apartment. Patterns of their unfortunate marriages start to come back.

Neil Simon's Background

Themes and Issues

Characters-

  • Grew up in Manhattan or Bronx (sources vary)
  • Lived with his parents and brother
  • Parents were tumultuous causing him to seek refuge in movies, especially finding delight in comedies
  • Attended NYU, University of Denver, and then the Air Force towards the end of WWII
  • Began writing plays in the 60s in New York
  • Neil Simon is still alive to and as of right now, his last play, "45 Seconds From Broadway" opened in 2001
  • He began writing plays because he didn't find writing for television as fulfilling
  • Neil Simon was the only playwright to have four Broadway productions playing at the same time (in 1960s)
  • These plays were ¨Barefoot in the Park¨, ¨The Odd Couple¨, ¨Sweet Charity¨ and ¨The Star Spangled Girl¨.

First Production-

  • Oscar Madison (lead
  • Felix Unger/ Ungar (lead)
  • Roy (supporting)
  • Speed (supporting)
  • Vinnie (supporting)
  • Gwendolyn Pigeon (supporting)
  • Cecily Pigeon (only female, supporting)

Themes-

- Some of the main themes in Neil Simon´s plays are Romance and anger.

Cast:

Why is it Famous?

  • ¨The Odd Couple¨ is one of Neil Simon´s most popular and known plays.
  • Audiences enjoyed the humor of the play.
  • Art Carney- Felix Ungar
  • Walter Matthau- Oscar Madison
  • Paul Dooley- Speed
  • John Fiedler- Vinnie
  • Nathaniel Frey- Murray
  • Sidney Armus- Roy
  • Marica Evans- Cecily Pigeon

Work In The Theater

Recognition and Fame

Neil Simon Quotes:

Neil Simon generally wrote plays to be on Broadway, meaning that was mostly where his productions ended up

Director-

- Mike Michols

  • Writing Style
  • Began as comedic writer for TV, wrote many shows based on his life and tried to put realistic spin on them
  • Considered to be "a major voice in contemporary comedy"

Set Designer-

- Ann Roth

Cites:

Most Famous Plays:

  • http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/brooksatkinsontheater/the-odd-couple.php
  • http://matthau.com/walter-matthau/the-new-york-times-review-of-the-odd-couple-on-broadway/
  • http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/Cast/9599/The-Odd-Couple-at-Plymouth-Theatre
  • http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/9599/The-Odd-Couple
  • http://stageagent.com/shows/play/2325/the-odd-couple/characters
  • http://stageagent.com/shows/play/2325/the-odd-couple
  • http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-2692700019/odd-couple.html
  • https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/60047.Neil_Simon
  • http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Neil_Simon.aspx
  • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/neil-simon-about-neil-simon/704/
  • http://www.enotes.com/topics/neil-simon
  • http://matthau.com/walter-matthau/the-new-york-times-review-of-the-odd-couple-on-broadway/

Who They Work With

The Odd Couple

  • The Odd Couple
  • Come Blow Your Horn
  • Barefoot in the Park
  • They're Playing Our Song
  • ¨...and do not make success or failure the criteria worthy by which you live, the chances are you´ll be a person worthy of your own respects.¨

Neil Simon generally worked with all kinds of actors that he found would be necessary to carry out his message effectively

Representation With Characters

Awards:

Most of Neil Simon's productions were based on working class New York neighborhoods that Simon grew up knowing and seeing. Those characters were obviously flawed, but Simon would make them appeal to the audiences in a way that we would root for them

Neil Simon has been given more Academy and Tony Nominations that any other writer and is the only playwright to have 4 Broadway productions running simultaneously.

Critical Overview-

(New York City Theatre)

¨The Odd Couple¨

¨Producers, superstars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are together again. Neil Simon´s hilarious play centers on a pair of mismatched roommates- arguably the most memorable pair of characters the successful playwright has written.¨

Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple"

Presented by Maria and Shay

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