First there was Walter Matheau and Jack Lemon. Then Jack Klugman and Tony Randall portraying the roles of Oscar Madison and Felix Unger. Well boys, meet Rileigh Stone and Agnes Gibner, Florence and Olive, in Milan High School’s production of Neil Simon’s classic comedy – “The Odd Couple” – Female Version. The story line is a little different but the comedy remains the same.
Stone delivered a tremendous performance as Olive, the sloppy, trivial pursuit playing divorcee who loves her free-wheeling, sloppy lifestyle. And she delivers some of the show’s funniest lines. Stone played the role straight, not seeking laughs, and delivered Simon’s comedy the way it was intended. While playing trivial pursuit with three girlfriends, she says flatly to a friend, “you ever consider taking speed so you can keep up with the rest of us?”
Gibner’s Florence, called Flo by everyone, suffers from a variety of ailments, and announces that she is suicidal following the recent announcement that her husband of fourteen years wants a divorce. Flo packed her bags but had no place to go. Olive invites her to stay with her for a few days while she sorts things out. And when you mix a neat freak with a slob, mayhem is sure to follow.
Rileigh Stone, Aurora Barnier, Lynsey Dunn & Agnes Gibner. Photo by Steve Sheldon.
After just a week of co-habitation, Flo is relentlessly cleaning. She finds a half-eaten sandwich in the sofa cushions and begins to fuss. Olive’s deadpan delivery tossed another zinger towards her friend, saying, “I can’t even have a dirty dream because you come in and start to clean it up.”
Olive & Florence are joined by friends Mickey (Lyndsey Dunn), Renee (Aurora Barnier), Sylvie (Meghan Helfen) and Vera (Addyson Leroy). Their plot to keep their friend safe leads to some funny moments. And yet, one by one, Flo’s obsession with cleaning and cooking starts to take the fun out of their girls’ night, so they leave.
Stone begins to sense that Flo is cramping her ability to have male companionship, so she invites two guys, Manolo (Franklin Barker), and Jesus (Hugo Guterrez) over for a little fun. Manolo and Jesus struggle a bit with English, which leads to a delightful conversation on the sofa, between the boys and Flo. Out of exasperation, Stone finally says, “Flo it’s not JESUS, the J is silent. It is esus.”
Franklin Barker, Agnes Gibner & Hugo Guitierrez. Photo by Steve Sheldon.
The set design was Olive’s, nice but cluttered NYC apartment. The action occurred smoothly in that apartment. Basic lighting and sound worked. The production of The Odd Couple – female version featured two separate casts performing on alternating nights. Though not included in this review, Cast B included: Violet Burdette (Olive), Myla Kofahl (Flo), Katie “Kye” Bell (Mickey), Ianna Loring (Renee), Lila Grimley (Sylvie), Jackie Lambert (Vera), Jackson Mullins (Manolo) & AJ Gagnon (Jesus).
The show was directed by Jason Berry and assistant director Becky Berry. The Milan High School Productions will stage Disney’s “Cinderella” March 21 – 23, 2026.
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