“The Odd Couple,” one of the best-known plays by the award-winning Neil Simon, makes its debut March 8 at Aldersgate Church Community Theater.

First opening on Broadway in 1965, the classic comedy opens as a group of guys assemble for cards in the apartment of Oscar Madison, a recently divorced New York sportswriter. If the mess is any indication, it's no wonder that his wife left him.

Late to arrive is Felix Unger, who has just been separated from his wife. Fastidious, depressed, uptight and tense, Felix seems suicidal; but as the action unfolds, hilarity ensues as the clean freak and the slob ultimately decide to room together.

The Tony-award winning play opened with theater luminaries Walter Mattheau and Art Carney as Oscar and Felix. Subsequent movie and television versions starred the likes of Jack Lemmon, Tony Randall, Jack Klugman, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.

The ACCT production is under the direction of Eddie Page with Marg Soroos as producer.

“We were looking for a comedy that had name recognition and one that would be fun to have on stage,” Soroos said. ‘’The Odd Couple fills that bill to a T.”

The ensemble cast is led by Dave Wright as Oscar and Bruce Rauscher as Felix.

“It's easy to just classify Oscar as being the messy one, but there's more depth there,” Wright said. “He likes to portray outwardly that he doesn't care about anything and loves his messy life, but I think it's a bit of a front. Secretly, he's a lonely man who would rather make jokes than face up to his own mistakes. Even though Felix drives him crazy, he also learns a lot about himself through this relationship.”

Added Rauscher, “If I or anyone even remotely familiar with the character had to describe Felix Unger in one word, it would simply be ‘neurotic.’ His excessiveness is due to his extreme insecurity about himself but underneath it all, there really is a true heart of gold. He is a man who'd do anything for anyone despite his low opinion of himself and his abilities. I'm hoping he'll not only come off as a bit aggravating, which he is, but also someone you can't help but fall in love with.”

Rounding out the cast are Steve Rosenthal as Murray, Charles Boone as Vinnie, Joel Durgavich as Roy, and Peter Halverson as Speed.

“Comedy is my favorite theatrical genre,” said Page. “In many ways it’s the most challenging, yet the most rewarding.“

Halverson, who plays one of the poker playing friends, said he hopes the audience sees beyond the humor of the play.

“Beneath the humor, of which there’s plenty, I think ‘The Odd Couple’ is all about relationships, and the work it requires to maintain them,” Halverson said. “It takes vision, and empathy, and compromise, and the wisdom to accept changes in yourself and others and adapt accordingly. If seeing our production gives audience members just a touch of that grace, we’ll have done our job.”

Added Rosenthal, “I hope audiences will have a good time, empathize with the characters, and appreciate what a major playwright Neil Simon was.”

“The Odd Couple” is playing March 8 through March 24 at Aldersgate Church Community Theater, 1301 Collingwood Road, Alexandria, VA 22308. For tickets or more information visit www.acctonline.org.