“The Odd Couple” premieres tonight

From+left%3A++Jackson+Dockery%2C+Nick+Giammanco%2C+Ike+Ihemeson%2C+Jake+Scodro%2C+Arman+Haveric%2C+and+Jack+Rasmussen+perform+a+scene+in+the+male+version+of+The+Odd+Couple.

Courtesy of Alessia DiNunno

From left: Jackson Dockery, Nick Giammanco, Ike Ihemeson, Jake Scodro, Arman Haveric, and Jack Rasmussen perform a scene in the male version of “The Odd Couple”.

The Drama Club is kicking off this year with The Odd Couple, which premieres Sept. 18, 19, and 20.

Neil Simon originally wrote the play in 1965, portraying the life of two roommates, Oscar and Felix, who share completely different personalities. The play went on to make a name for itself, being made into films, television series, and numerous spin-offs.

In 1985 Simon adapted the play for a female cast, sharing the same plot as the original, but instead starring two women, Olive and Florence.

The drama club has decided to perform both versions of the play this weekend with two separate casts, one consisting of mostly male actors, and one with mostly actresses.

For the male version, seniors Jake Scodro and Jackson Dockery helped explain the dynamic of the play.

“I play Oscar, who is a messy, kind of loud spoken guy,” Scodro said.

“And I play Felix Unger, who is neurotic, punctual, yet extreme neat-freak, who is obsessed with cleanliness and cooking,” Dockery said.

Both Scodro and Dockery admitted to being rather unorganized and messy in real life, leaving one of them to do a complete role reversal.

“In real life, I’m extremely different from Felix because I haven’t cleaned my room in weeks, I don’t use any folders for any of my papers, and I’m constantly coming late to school,” Dockery said. “It was actually pretty challenging but also so much fun to play a character that was nothing like me.”

Since they are based on the same play, the shows share the same plot, though they still manage to stay unique from one another.

“It’s not like the (female) version recycles the same jokes,” Dockery said. “The shows’ dynamics between the girls cast and the guys cast are amazingly different, yet equally hysterical.”

The female version of The Odd Couple stars seniors Nicole Labun, who plays Florence, and Ele Hagermoser, who plays Olive.

“Although the characters Felix and Florence have the same character traits, I believe Jackson and I play the character differently,” Labun said. “Even in the same scenarios, men and women have different reactions…some jokes are the same, but ultimately they are completely different scripts.”

The separation between boys and girls has left a special opportunity for all members of the drama club.

“The girls in the cast have definitely gotten really close, and it’s been awesome working with them,” Hagermoser said. “Nicole and I have gotten super close during the show, and I’m surprised we’re still friends since I yell at her onstage so much.”

The male cast performs at 7 p.m. on Sept. 18 and 19, while the female cast performs at 4 p.m. on Sept. 19 and at 7 p.m. Sept. 20.