The
twentieth anniversary of Murphys Creek Theatre brings together founders and
original cast members in the same show that launched the company in 1994. The theatre’s current artistic director
Graham Green and current cast members Tom White, Terri Wilson, and Sheila Doyle
were all part of the inaugural show twenty years ago, Neil Simon’s “Rumors.”
The current cast also features seasoned performers Ross Aldrich, Michael Crich,
Sarah Grimes-Emmons, Sid Marsh, and Mitzi Nelson, along with newcomers Matthew
Hobgood and Robert Wright.
The plot of
“Rumors” could be summarized by Murphy’s Law : Anything that can go wrong, will
go wrong.” When four well-to-do couples meet for the anniversary party of New
York’s Deputy Mayor, Charlie Brock and his wife Myra, mayhem ensues. The first couple to arrive finds the host with
a gunshot wound, the hostess nowhere-to-be-found, and the kitchen full of
uncooked food yet empty of cooks. This
may not seem like the prelude to a comedy, but Neil Simon calls this play a
farce, and indeed, it sparkles with outrageous situations, statirical humor, bungled
problem-solving that begets more
problems than solutions and broad physical comedy right on the edge of
slapstick. The cast excels at the madcap
antics, comedic timing, and frantic scheming necessary to keep the story funny.
“Rumors,” is
a bit of a departure from the usual Neil Simon fare. It has a lot in common with British “door comedies”
such as “Noises Off,” with the comedy at its height when various
characters are coming and going through
literal doors, trying to solve problems through deception and circumvention.
Ross Aldrich is hilarious as “Ken,” the
frantic control-freak, who with his Nervous-Nelly wife ”Chris,” played to the
hilt by Sarah Grimes-Emmons, are first to arrive at the Brock’s lovely home.
The next couple to arrive,” Lenny” and “Claire,” played by Michael Crich and
Sheila Doyle, bring their own problem, having had an accident driving there,
and also the rumor that not all is well in the Brock marriage. They have to
join the craziness where Ken and Chris have already taken it. Ditto for “Ernie” and “Cookie” (Tom White and
Terri Wilson), though at least Cookie is a cook. So something good will come
out of the kitchen, but of course not without pitfalls and pratfalls. “Glenn” and “Cassie.” the last couple to
arrive, come in a snit over their own marital discord, with added concerns over
Glenn’s run for State Senate. Sid Marsh and Mitzi Nelson play them.
The cast is
excellent at making each character stand out as an individual
though everyone shares concerns over image,
power, and wealth that allow Simon to skewer the privileged class. Besides Ken as the clownish controller and
Chris as the overly agitated former smoker, Lenny is the sarcastic one, Claire,
the purveyor of the droll remark, Ernie, the overly analytical, and Cookie, the
airhead. Cassie seems too self-centered
to be an effective politician’s wife (Possibly she was the trophy-wife.) and
Glenn makes the greatest faux pas of the evening, never a good trait for
someone in politics.
The foibles
of the characters, drawn-out expertly by the actors and Green’s direction, yield
many laughs that will make for a pleasant evening (or afternoon) for
theater-goers. You can still see “Rumors” until the 19th of April,
with shows Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. For more information go to
murphyscreektheatre.org .
Review
by Shari Schweigler
