Photo by George Lauby Kevin, at left, and Kent Winder

Photo by George Lauby Cecilia Lawrence

Photo by George Lauby

The Odd Couple takes the stage this weekend downtown at the Neville Center for the Performing Arts.

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The play runs Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

In the hilarious comedy about mismatched roommates, Felix Ungar, a neurotic “neat freak” is thrown out by his wife and moves in with his divorced buddy Oscar Madison, who is slovenly but easy-going.

Not only do the two friends clash, their poker playing buddies lose their equanimity, sparked by Felix’s relentless fastidiousness.

“He washed the cards!” one exclaims.

The characters keep their vigor and animation as they navigate the troubled waters of divorce and friendship and contemplate the differences between wishes and reality. The play allows the audience to laugh at the deeply troublesome things in their relatively comfortable lives.

Kent Winder plays Felix and his brother Kevin is Oscar. In real life, Kent tends to be a slob and Kevin a neatnik, said the director, Cecilia Lawrence.

The 1965 comedy became an award-winning movie and hit television series, but the original play is the funniest, Lawrence said, with quick lines and visual jokes.

“It appeals to all ages,” Lawrence said, “including me. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up with Red Skelton and Carol Burnett, but I love physical comedy. Everyone loves a good pratfall.”

Lawrence decorated a set with help from Bill Kackmeister, recreating the colorful, sometimes garish décor of the early 1970s.

Eugene Gilsdorf plays Murray, a policeman and veteran poker player. Felix and Oscar’s other poker-playing buddies are Sam Fisher as Speed, Joel Bennett as Roy, and Alex Letcher as Vinnie.

Jessica Shore has the role of Gwendolyn Pigeon and Brittany Drullinger will play Cecily Pigeon. The Pigeon sisters are Felix and Oscar’s upstairs neighbors.

The assistant director is Carolyn Clark. Daniel Harder is costume master; and Lowell Fenster was in charge of set construction. Lawrence and Carolyn Trujillo are prop masters.

Kent Winder has frequently performed in Community Playhouse productions, including the lead role in the Christmas-time classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Kevin Winder is also a frequent playhouse performer, handling the lead in the 2004 production of “Flaming Idiots.”

The Winder brothers performed together in 2005 in “Come Blow Your Horn,” about two brothers, Alan, an irresponsible playboy, and his repressed younger brother, Buddy, who left his parents’ home to move into his older brother’s bachelor apartment.

“The Odd Couple” was first produced on Broadway in 1965 with Art Carney as Felix and Walter Matthau as Oscar. A revival in 2005 featured Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. Also it was made into a successful film starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and a television series with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman.

The Nebraska Arts Council has supported this arts event through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The Nebraska Arts Council has a variety of grants and service programs to help support arts events throughout Nebraska. For information on how the Nebraska Arts Council can be helpful to your community or organization, contact Nebraska Arts Council, 1004 Farnam Street, Plaza Level, Omaha, NE 68102, or call 402-595-2122.

The corporate sponsors are Integrated Computer Services and McChesney, Martin, Sagehorn, PC.

Tickets, memberships

Reservations for “The Odd Couple” will be taken from noon to 5 p.m. at the playhouse through Oct. 3, and online at www.northplattecommunityplayhouse.org.

All major credit cards are accepted. If seats are available, tickets will be sold at the theater before all performances.