The Pennsylvania Playhouse’s production of Neil Simon’s “Rumors” is an enjoyable romp through 1980s conspiratorial high society.
The audience is treated to a wonderfully chaotic evening of missteps, miscues, misdirection, and misunderstandings in the home of Charlie and Myra Brock, on the evening of their 10th wedding anniversary party.
Under the direction of Jan Labellarte Beatty, the talented, energetic, and perfectly matched cast create an always funny and often hilarious rendition of Neil Simon’s farce.
When the show opens, we find Ken Gorman (played by Mark Nathaniel) and his wife Chris (played by Lori Colacito) frantically running around the living room of Charlie and Myra Brock’s lovely Sneden’s Landing estate.
The Gormans, being the only couple to arrive on time, find themselves with the unfortunate task of being the first ones to deal with unforeseen events.
They pull up to the house, hear a gun shot, run in, see none of the servants, can’t find Myra, run upstairs to find Charlie, in bed, high on Valium, and bleeding from a gunshot wound…to his earlobe.
Charlie is the Deputy Mayor of New York City, and Ken, as Charlie’s attorney, tries to contain the situation.
He does a rather poor job of it.
As each of the other couples arrive at the house and stumble into this mess, they all pretty much keep screwing things up just a little bit more until the local authorities decide to investigate, and the entire lot is on the brink of being hauled off to jail.
How can a collection of intelligent and wealthy elites act in such a bumbling and idiotic manner'
Rather easily, it turns out.
To use both the noun and verb form in the same sentence, this cast is very well cast.
As Ken and Chris Gorman, Mark Nathaniel and Lori Colacito give a wonderful portrayal of the well-meaning but conspiratorially challenged couple. You always believe, even in their confusion over Charlie’s situation, that Ken and Chris are never confused about caring about each other. They provide a sense of stability in this array of unstable characters.As Lenny and Clare Ganz, Keith Moser and Kelley Herbert James spice things up. They detail the rumors and gossip surrounding their lives, some they have heard and some that they themselves have spread, essentially serving as a metaphor for the story. Keith Moser gives to his Lenny an excellent combination of occasional hysterics followed by calm confusion which serve to let the audience know that Lenny is not exactly the sharpest of minds (which cleverly belies what Lenny will accomplish at the end of the play). Kelly Hebert James expertly portrays Clare as the snarky (code for “bitchy”) socialite who almost seems to enjoy watching the plot twists occurring all around her. As the others try to come up with solutions, Clare occasionally throws out a snide comment along with a glare or two and has the attitude of “yeah, well, good luck with that,” taking an almost voyeuristic role in her own crazy life.
Gary Boyer’s Ernie strives to be the voice of reason in the midst of this bunch that is trying to invent hair-brained schemes. That is, until his own hair-brained scheme falls apart. Rachel Willaims’ Cookie is a breath of fresh air in this world of trust funds and large bank accounts. As a self-made success who hosts her own cooking show, Cookie has a down-to-earth nature that is a pleasurable contrast to the pomposity surrounding her.
The interplay between Glenn and Cassie Cooper is fantastic. Tom Mattei’s Glenn is the classic big fish in a little pond politician wannabe. He has just the right amount of patience with his neurotic wife, who is driven by the belief that Glenn is having an affair and who displays her anger by complaining about anything and everything that comes into her head. Stacy Ziegler’s Cassie is the perfect politician’s wife on the edge of a nervous breakdown, and she is handling/manipulating Glenn pretty well - until she decides to attempt to seduce every man at the party. Oh, and then there’s the bloody nose she gives Glenn, but I digress.
Last but certainly not least, we have Sneden Landing’s finest: Officers Welch and Pudney. Bill Gibson’s Welch has the perfect balance of not being the cliché rough and tough cop, but also not being the caricature Keystone Cop. He plays a sergeant on the verge of a promotion who just wants to close this case, not rock the boat, and get home to his wife. His character serves as the catalyst for the band of fools to finally invent a believable tale. To that end, Keith Moser’s Lenny, who is now impersonating Charlie, marvelously delivers a monologue that is a fairy tale for the ages. Without giving away the ending (for the one person reading this who hasn’t seen Rumors), once Officer Welch hears the tall tale, he concludes his investigation…but not for the reasons you might think.
The set serves as an attractive and sterling example of the upper crust, replete with the amenities of the wealthy who reside in this quaint little community 20 miles north of New York City. From the large and obvious features, such as the remarkable second floor landing and steps, down to the small and almost unnoticed aspects, such as the classic cordless phone with expandable antenna, this set creates the perfect backdrop against which this collection of crackpots connive.
Jan Labellarte Beatty has deftly directed the expertly cast collection of players in a way that both highlight and accentuate their skills. The interplay of the actors was fluid, and the interaction of each character with the other was completely believable, relatable, and enjoyable, which is not easy to do when dealing with a gaggle of mega-wealthy and morally challenged socialites on the verge of a conspiracy conviction.
The Pennsylvania Playhouse production of “Rumors” is a thoroughly entertaining comedy that will not only have you laughing often, it will often have you laughing loudly and heartily. “Rumors” will be performed April 8 – 10, and April 14 – 17, with show times at 7:30pm on Thursdays, 8:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3:00pm on Sundays. Contact the Playhouse box office for ticket information.