A super cast makes the most of Neil Simon’s 1988 word-salad comedy masterpiece entitled RUMORS. This one is played strictly for laughs. RUMORS opened last week at New Theater Restaurant in Overland Park.
RUMORS is headlined by TV’s Emmy Award Winning Alley Mills (The Wonder Years) as Claire plus a cast of the usual suspects. All are in fine fettle in this very funny piece directed by New Theatre’s Co-Artistic Director Dennis D. Hennessey. Together they take a potentially serious situation and manage to keep the audience grinning for two hours plus an intermission.
Here's the setup. Four Nouveau Rich couples come together for a black tie, tenth anniversary, dinner party at the home of New York City Deputy Mayor Charley Beck and his wife Myra.
RUMORS is one of Neil Simon’s classic misdirection situation comedy farces. The show is pretty silly in but always manages to find punchline that delivers. Remember Neil Simon got his start as a gag writer on the old Sid Caesar SHOW OF SHOWS TV Comedy hour.
To enjoy RUMORS fully, you kind of need to know that the other Sid Caesar writers included Larry Gelbart (MASH), Selma Diamond (NIGHT COURT), and Mel Brooks (BLAZING SADDLES).
First to arrive at the party is Charley’s attorney and political advisor Ken Gorman (Craig Benton) and his wife Chris (Cathy Barnett). Chris is still weaning herself off the smoking habit after eighteen months.
Something is obviously amiss. Nobody seems to be home. Ken and Chris are surprised to find no prepared food, no serving staff, no bar attendants, and worst of all no honorees in their own house.
Ken searches the house. Myra is gone. There may have been a fight. Charley is found bleeding on the bedroom floor with a gun in his hand and a prescription bottle of sleeping pills on the bed stand. It looks like there may have been a suicide attempt.
Charley appears to have taken pills, put a gun to his head, pulled the trigger but missed. The bullet has merely clipped Charley’s ear lobe. The ear wound causes a bloody mess, but no serious damage other than a red stain on Ken’s formal shirt.
Ken stumbles out of Charley’s bedroom with the blood on his shirt. Chris Kind of understandably freaks out. She wants to call the cops, but Ken has determined that Charley will be OK and is concerned about Charley’s political position as Deputy Mayor.
Second choice is for Chris to call Charley’s physician Dr. Dudley. Dr Dudley is not home. The leave a message. Dr. Dudley happens to be attending a performance of “Phantom of the Opera.” He returns the call from the theater lobby.
Chris begins to explain, but Ken restrains her. The call with Dr. Dudley ends.. They decide to keep the possible suicide attempt hidden for now because Ken knows that Charley (after his ear wound heals) has aspirations for higher office.
The doorbell rings. It is accountant Lenny Ganz (John Rensenhouse) and his wife Claire (Alley Mills). They have just been in an auto accident. Lenny’s new BMW has been smashed by a hit and run driver. And Lenny has whiplash. He enters with his neck at a ninety degree comedy crick in it.
Claire calls their doctor about Lenny’s neck. Guess who? It is Dr. Dudley. They leave a message. Dr. Dudley is back enjoying “Phantom.” They wait for his call. Lenny continues to complain about his neck and his new car. Eventually, Ken and Chris explain what is really going on.
Doorbell rings. It is psychologist Earnie (Doug Weaver) and Cookie (Jan Rogge) Cusak. Doorbell rings. The party is rounded out by State Senate Candidate Glenn Cooper (Darren Kennedy) and his insecure trophy wife Cassie (Jennifer Mays).
OK, got all that? Myra’s missing. Charley is sleeping off his pills with a bloody ear lobe. A potential scandal is erupting and nobody (for their own reasons) really wants to be here. Chris is having a cow and there is a running gag where the women have to use the bathroom,
About this time, Ken goes back to the bedroom to check on Charley. Ken trips, drops the gun, it discharges.. Ken is rendered temporarily deaf. Imagine what Simon can do with deaf guy setup. Meanwhile in the other stage direction, there is a kitchen accident. Another setup.
Act II opens with the doorbell again sounding. It is a pair of cops Nancy Nail and L. Roy Hawkins. They have questions. The guests are again freaked.
We have another classic misunderstanding. The cops ask their questions. The guests answer carefully not wanting to lie but not wanting to admit to the shooting.
It turns out a neighbor has seen the car accident with the BMW and phoned police.
Lenny (John Rensenhouse) launches into an inspired, convoluted, forever long explanation that cannot possibly be true. Incredibly, the cops say OK and leave.
We never meet Charley and Myra, but there is a payoff to all the craziness. I won’t ruin it for you. Enjoy yourself as you hear all the RUMORS at New Theatre.
You may have noticed that I called this dialog word-salad. There is a tremendous amount to learn with RUMORS and it all depends on expert comic timing from these actors. They all do an enviable job in keeping audience grinning throughout.
Dinner is excellent as usual and table service is impeccable. RUMORS continues at New Theatre Restaurant through April 13. Tickets are available online and by telephone 913-649-7469.
Photo Credit: Mike Savage
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