Pikesville High School’s fall production of The Odd Couple tackles the comedic side of drama.  As two divorced women find themselves newly single and facing the hardships of divorce, their worlds collide and their experiences living as roommates bring out the best, and the worst, in each other. 

            Mr. Douglas Kotula, the director of the show, has been directing at PHS for 16 years and has a passion for his work.        

            “I love seeing visions I have in my head come to life and gel on the stage,” Mr. Kotula said. 

            The play is known for its humor, centering on the polar opposite personalities of the main characters. 

            “I had the opportunity of directing this play before,” Mr. Kotula said. “The subject matter is relatable and pleases high school students.”                                                                                                                                                                        Taylor Peck plays Sylvie, a friend of the main characters.  The character is very witty, blunt, and a little temperamental. 

            “I love acting because you get to be a whole different person,” Taylor said. “It’s so fun pretending be someone else and walking in my character’s shoes.” 

            Mr. Kotula also decided to make a change from the original play.  Reversing the gender roles of the leads, he is using a female version that enhances the performance in a very different way. 

            “I had to go with a female-centered cast because last year eight of my guys graduated, so I knew this year we would need a female dominated play,” Mr. Kotula explained. 

            The cast hopes that the students at PHS will enjoy the play and will be able to relate to the main topic and ideas of the production. 

            “I am very excited to see the audience’s reactions to the jokes,” Taylor said. “It is not easy putting on a production like this.  It takes a lot of hard work and memorization.” 

            The whole cast puts in a great amount of effort in order to produce a funny, easy-going, and well organized play. 

            “The rehearsals are really fun in the beginning,” Taylor Peck said, “but towards the end, they get very intense and Mr. Kotula gets very serious about the play.” 

            The Odd Couple will perform on Thursday, November 17, Friday, November 18, and Saturday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. each evening.  Tickets are five dollars in advance and eight dollars at the door.  The cast and crew are very excited to debut The Odd Couple.  Their main goal is to have a fun night filled with an abundance of laughter. 

            “The cast just fell in love with this piece,” Mr. Kotula said. “It got me so excited to see their enjoyment.  We are all having a blast working on this play.”