Odds-on favorite returns
Nehalem hosts ‘The Odd Couple’ encore 10 years in the making
By Jordan Wolfe
For the TODAY
Linguini will be thrown, sinuses will be thunderously cleared and a friendship will be strained to its breaking point in Nehalem this Friday, June 5 — all in a celebration of theater.
The Riverbend Players is presenting an encore production of “The Odd Couple,” Neil Simon’s classic comedy about a slob and a neat-freak unexpectedly becoming roommates and navigating life while driving each other nuts.
The celebratory production marks 10 years since the troupe unveiled a massive renovation of their theater housed at North County Recreation District’s Performing Arts Center.
“This was a forgotten space,” said Frank Squillo, director and Riverbend Players Board of Directors president. “It was an elementary school auditorium, had gone into disrepair, had really old, ancient seats that were just so uncomfortable and it became a junk room.”
After a $200,000 remodel of the space was completed in 2016, the Riverbend Players’ inaugural play was “The Odd Couple” and a smash hit. To celebrate a decade of growth, the show is making a return — with new faces in every role.
“When we were considering our lineup for this year, somebody said, ‘Why don't we revive it with a whole new cast and pay tribute to the previous cast that did it 10 years ago,’” Squillo said. “Opening night, we're having a gala with some of the original cast and the original director, back to be acknowledged.”
The characters of Oscar, the easygoing slob, and Felix, the neurotic neat-freak, are the beating heart of the show. Actors from Walter Matthau and Art Carney to Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick have played the lead roles.
“There's so much between Felix and Oscar and if that chemistry is not there and it's not real and it's not believable, then I think the production would have a problem,” Squillo said. “In this production, Felix and Oscar — played by Jordan [Wolfe] and Eric [A. Esrael] — are doing a really good job of just making it seem like they've been friends for a long time.”
Esrael, who brings 27 years of experience both onstage and as a director, is taking his first lead role with Riverbend Players as Oscar.
“I like that Oscar speaks his mind,” Esrael said. “But he also has this underlying part of him that cares a lot. So, trying to find that tightrope walk with Oscar, of being gruff and a little grumpy — when he and Felix are really getting into it, he still cares underneath it all. There’s a big heart there.”
When Esrael and his wife moved to Manzanita from the Salem area in 2025, having Riverbend Players down the road — along with other nearby community theaters in Cannon Beach and Tillamook — made the relocation that much easier. One of the first things he did when he arrived was attend a Riverbend Players performance.
“I was impressed by the production and the cast and thought, ‘That's a company I could be a part of,’” he said. “Theater, to me personally, is all about connection — and connecting with the other actors and with the audience… This show really allows that connection — Oscar connects with all of the characters in the show.”
This production’s Felix is also played by a newcomer to Riverbend Players.
“I’m in this play and writing this article, so it’s a little gratuitous to quote myself,” Wolfe said. “I’ve never had a better scene partner than Erik and have really enjoyed exploring these characters with this very talented cast.”
Staring up at the nearly completed set — full of mid-1960s touches that Squillo said he hunted down himself — the director reflected on one particular message from his upcoming show that stands out to him.
“Felix says at one point in the play, ‘Oscar, we are what we are.’ And a lot of times we don't understand that. And it's a pretty important message, especially when people are trying to just get along as hard as it is today, everybody's so divided about so many different things,” Squillo said. “And if we just accepted the fact that we are who we are, it would make a big difference in a lot of ways.”
“The Odd Couple” runs through June 14, with performances at 7 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 5, 6 and 7, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 11, 12 and 13. Afternoon performances at 2 pm are on Sunday, June 7, Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14. Tickets are $5 to $25 dollars. The NCRD Performing Arts Center is located at 36155 Ninth Street in Nehalem. For more information or tickets, go to riverbendplayers.org or call 503-298-5467.