January 27, 2005

Show must go on for grieving actor

Tickets still available for ‘Odd Couple,’ which benefits Pioneer High School Drama Department

By Julie Davis Berry
Executive Editor

News over the weekend of the death of “Odd Couple” lead actor Brian Adam’s mother could have sent the production into a tailspin. But in the tradition of great actors throughout time, Adams is forging ahead with the show, which he will perform in honor of his late mother Pauline.

Felix likes cleaning, hence the feather duster, and Oscar likes junk food, hence the soda, and their differences will provide humorous fodder for the audience during Pioneer High School’s production of The Odd Couple January 27-29.

“She was his theater angel,” said Steve Dini, who plays Oscar Madison to Adams’ Felix Unger in the “Odd Couple,” of Adams’ mother. “That’s what you call people who help out behind the scenes in a play: theater angel. She was always so supportive of Brian’s performances and he wants to dedicate this performance to her.”

This will be the fourth time the duo have performed the play. In the past, their performances have benefited the American Heart Association and City Team Ministries. This weekend’s performance will benefit the Pioneer High School Drama Department, which is still reeling from a devastating arson fire that destroyed the theater and its contents in November 2003.

The money raised by the production (hopefully $6,000) will be used to replace the lights, scripts, and materials for the sets that were destroyed in the fire and to rent the outdoor stage that will be used for performances in the spring.

The production holds special significance because it will be the last local theater company to perform the play due to an upcoming one-year “blackout” while the “Odd Couple” is performed on Broadway with Nathan Lane as Oscar and Matthew Broderick as Felix.

The play will include performances by parents of past and present Pioneer students in a number of roles under the auspices of the Pioneer Adult Drama group The Glue Factory. “Actually this is a “Sticky Bun” production,” said Dini with a smile. “Brian and I came up with the name when we were at Oakridge having, you guessed it, sticky buns.”

Dini, Pioneer’s drama teacher, is a natural to play the somewhat messy Oscar Madison role due to his preference for “comfortable clothes” and his easygoing attitude. And his old channel 36 on-air pal Brian Adams is a natural to play Felix Unger because he is a “real neat freak. He’s really picky about food and clothing,” according to Dini.

The play will be performed this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the newly remodeled Historic Theater at Hoover Middle School (across from the Rosicrucian Museum on Park Avenue). Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased by calling Steve Dini at (408) 978-8499.

Other Drama Department news
Prior to the February 21 demolition of the burned out theater building the drama department will host a free party under the overhang on February 12, which they call “The Wrecking Ball”. “We wanted to do one last fling before the knockdown,” said Dini, “And one of the moms came up with the idea to sell bags made of the theater’s curtain which will contain a piece of wood from the stage so everyone can keep a part of the theater with them. And, it’s a fundraiser. The bags will be $5 each. These parents never cease to amaze me with their devotion to the drama department.”

The theater is scheduled to reopen in November of 2005, although Dini has his doubts. “Its been delayed already because the first plans were to keep the brick walls up but then they discovered that they weren’t earthquake safe, and a new plan needed to be designed,” he said. “So only time will tell when it will be ready.”