‘Rumors’ is funny business at Clague Playhouse
By Art Thomas
Insights
Published April 29, 2009

If you are looking for a night of laughs, head over to Clague Playhouse where “Rumors” is flying. A comedy that is equal parts verbal humor and visual humor, “Rumors” is the creation of Neil Simon.

Simon gave us the practically perfect comedy “The Odd Couple,” which later became both a movie and a long-running TV series. Trained as a comedy writer for Sid Ceasar, Simon had the talent to write original sketches at the rate of several per week in the days of live television. For the stage, he went through a few pure comedies, dabbled in an autobiographical trilogy based on his adolescence in Brooklyn and even wrote some modern-day farces, one based on the “Book of Job”.

“Rumors” is an amalgam of his best sitcom-on-stage structures, with liberal helpings of door-slamming farce thrown in.

In suburban New York, a couple celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary have invited guests to a black-tie party. First to arrive are Ken and Chris Gorman, who discover that their hostess is nowhere to be seen, and her husband has somehow gotten shot through his ear. Lawyer Ken is determined to keep the incident a secret, and concocts a story on the fly when they phone their doctor. By the time the second couple arrive, the story has gotten more exaggerated and out of hand.

When a third and fourth couple join the party, it is hard to keep track of who knows exactly what, and everyone, it seems, has a different view of the situation.

I saw the Clague production of “Rumors” at a dress rehearsal through the courtesy of director Ron Newell. Getting its final polish, this show induced near-continuous laughter from the preview crowd.

Starting off with veteran performers, Margy Haas and Dennis Sullivan as the bumbling lawyers “Rumors” has non-stop laughs in the first scene when pointed satire is aimed at middle-class values of marriages on the rocks. Haas and Sullivan as the well-meaning friends tip off the avalanche of deception with energized professionalism.  

Lou Will and June Austin Pruc are the next couple to arrive, frantic after an accident with their two-day-old car. They are confided in, but not completely. Ed Dragony as a nutty therapist arrives next with his cooking show wife, Cookie. (I know it sounds stupid, but by this time, you just immerse yourself in the world of “Rumors” and are willing to laugh at just about everything.)

A fourth couple, Lance Switzer and Kristen Buchs as the Coopers, complete the totally preposterous octet.

Like an Agatha Christie mystery, in the second act a policeman arrives to try to restore order and get to the bottom of the chaos. David Gill fills the role of Officer Welch.

Newell’s adept and fast-paced direction never gives the audience a chance to completely sort out exactly what is happening. The cast are energetic and focused on their roles, whether they are gossiping about whoever is out of the room at the moment, fighting or dancing to “La Bomba”.

As usual, the technical and design elements at Clague, contribute positively to the total effect of the production.

“Rumors” is rumored to be selling out, so getting tickets this week is advised. The production runs weekends through May 17.