Group Rep Brings Neil Simon's RUMORS To Lonny Chapman Theatre

The Group Rep presents Neil Simon's classic farce RUMORS, directed by Doug Engalla, produced by Alyson York for the Group Rep. Five neurotic couples gather for a dinner party celebrating one couple's 10th anniversary. The best laid plans go wildly awry when guests arrive early only to discover their host has shot himself, the hostess and servants are missing, and dinner not ready. As confusions and miscommunications mount, the evening spins off into farcical hilarity. The play runs June 15 through July 29 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, at the edge of the NoHo Arts District.

Neil Simon (Playwright) American playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon is widely regarded as one of the most successful, prolific and performed playwrights in the world. In addition to Lost In Yonkers, which won a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize, his plays and musicals include Come Blow Your Horn, Little Me, Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Sweet Charity, The Star-Spangled Girl, Plaza Suite, Promises, Promises, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Gingerbread Lady, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Sunshine Boys, The Good Doctor, God's Favorite, California Suite, Chapter Two, They're Playing Our Song, I Ought to be in Pictures, Fools, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, The Odd Couple (female version), Broadway Bound, Rumors, Jake's Women, The Goodbye Girl, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, London Suite, Proposals, Hotel Suite, The Dinner Party, 45 Seconds from Broadway, Oscar and Felix, and Rose's Dilemma. In addition to the film adaptations he has written of many of his plays, his screenplay credits include After the Fox, The Out-Of-Towners, The Heartbreak Kid (original 1973 version),Murder by Death, The Cheap Detective, Seems Like Old Times, Only When I Laugh, Max Dugan Returns, The Slugger's Wife, The Marrying Man and The Odd Couple II. Other motion pictures based on stage plays include Come Blow Your Horn, Sweet Charity and The Star-Spangled Girl. For television Mr. Simon has written series, teleplays and motion pictures including The Tallulah Bankhead Show, The Sid Caesar Show, The Phil Silvers Arrow Show, The Phil Silvers Show, The Garry Moore Show, The Trouble with People, ABC's Broadway Bound and Jake's Women. Books by Neil Simon include Rewrites, A Memoir, The Play Goes On, four omnibus collections of Neil Simon's plays The Comedy Of Neil Simon, The Collected Plays Of Neil Simon, Vol. II, The Collected Plays Of Neil Simon, Vol. 3, The Collected Plays Of Neil Simon, Vol. 4 and Lost In Yonkers (screenplay).Mr. Simon has received more Academy and Tony nominations than any other writer. Awards he has received include the Pulitzer Prize for Lost in Yonkers, Emmy Awards for The Sid Caesar Show and The Phil Silvers Show, Tony Awards for The Odd Couple, Biloxi Blues, Lost In Yonkers and a special Tony Award For Overall Contribution To The Theatre. His nominations include Tony Award Nominations forLittle Me, Barefoot in the Park, Plaza Suite, Promises, Promises, The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound, Lost in Yonkers and The Goodbye Girl (musical). Other nominations include a Writers Guild Screen Award for The Odd Couple and The Out-Of-Towners, a Writers Guild Laurel Award, an American Comedy Award for Lifetime Achievement and a Writers Guild Screen Award Nomination for Barefoot in the Park as well as an Oscar Nomination for The Odd Couple, an Evening Standard award a Sam S. Shubert Foundation award, Kennedy Center Honors, a UCLA Medal, a Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award and a William Inge Theater Festival award for Distinguished Achievement in the American Theater.

Doug Engalla (Director) first joined in 1997 as an Actor; and has directed projects outside of the Company. In 2007, Doug's first full-length play as Director here was Arsenic and Old Lace, and Rumors marks his seventh production as Director at The Group Rep. Other directorial projects included A Nice Family Gathering, A Nice Family Christmas, and four World Premieres in the Don't Hug Me musical comedy series.

Alyson York (Producer) this is the third show she has produced for The Group Rep; The American Dream (she also directed the play) and A Nice Family Christmas. In addition to directing Alyson is also an actress; some of her favorite roles include: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Uncle Vanya. Alyson received the prestigious Audience Performance Award for the play Little Comedy and was in the staged reading of Nobody's Home (winner of the summer playwright's festival at The Road Theatre).

Michele Bernath (Choreographer) Eddon Award Actress, Bessie Berger Awake & Sing! Favorites:Calendar Girls, Boeing Boeing, A Nice Family Gathering, Over the River, Midsummer Night's Dream. Choreographer: That Lovin' Feeling, Ghost of Gershwin, Don't Hug Me. Actress, Dancer, Singer: National Tours, Las Vegas etc.( Minnie Faye, Hello Dolly, Aunt Sue, No No Nanette, Anybody's West Side Story). TV: "My Crazy Sex", "Taxi", "Columbo". Film: featured "Lookin' Up". Solo comedy Ballerina Haydn's Surprise Symphony Hollywood Bowl, L.A. Phil. MFA-UCLA.

The cast features the talents of Todd Andrew Ball, Michele Bernath, Patrick Burke, Kent Butler, Fox Carney, Cheryl Crosland, Doug Haverty, Lizanne Keigley, Hisato Masuyama-Ball, Robert McCollum, and Debi Tinsley.

The Design and Production Team includes Chris Winfield (Set Design), Addison Calvin (Lighting Design), Angela M. Eads (Costume Design), Steve Shaw (Sound Design), Art + Soul Design (Graphic Design), Sophie Lamzik (Assistant Director) and John Ledley (Stage Manager).

Now in its 44th Season, the Group Rep has produced well over 300 plays including more than 70 World Premieres. The company boasts more than 80 active company members, from those with notable careers to those building careers. The Acting Company began May 1973, with a rag-tag group of 11 actors performing scenes for audiences in a laundromat-turned 36 seat theatre on Van Ness Blvd. When Lonny Chapman first entered that theatre, the match was perfect and The Group Rep was born with Chapman at the helm. In 1999, Lonny was honored when the current theatre's name officially became the "Lonny Chapman Theatre". The partnership continued until Lonny's passing in 2007.

In addition to productions, The Group Rep gives back to the community with its Annual Kids Holiday Party and a new program which donates play tickets to Veteran Groups. Also, its Participating Actor and Technical Associates (PATA) program provides internship opportunities for aspiring theatre artists. Past graduates include such notables as Sean Penn and Jennifer Tilly.

From 2009 - 2010, Ernest Figueroa, producer for the Broad Stage, came on board as Artistic Director, and brought needed creative and organizational changes. In April of 2010, Figueroa passed the torch to longtime members Larry Eisenberg and Chris Winfield to serve as Co-Artistic Directors. The dynamic duo strives to take The Group Rep to even greater heights and continue to fulfill the vision of Lonny Chapman: First, to entertain, then to illuminate the human condition - and never be boring.

RUMORS runs June 15 - July 29. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm. Sundays at 2:00 pm. Talkbacks after Sunday matinees June 24 and July 8. General Admission: $25. Seniors/Students with ID: $20. Groups 10+: $15. Buy Tickets: www.thegrouprep.com or (818) 763-5990. Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601. Main Stage Theatre, first floor. Theatre has AC/Heat, and is wheelchair accessible. Snacks and beverage available in the lobby.

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