In a large, tastefully appointed townhouse, the Deputy Mayor of New York has shot himself. Though only a flesh wound, four couples are about to experience a severe farce attack. Despite being his tenth wedding anniversary party, the host lies bleeding in the other room and his wife is nowhere in sight. The lawyer and his wife must get "the story" straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions and miscommunications mount, the evening spins off into laugh-out-loud hilarity.
Rumors premiered at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre in September 1988; a few months later it opened on Broadway. Over the years, the play has been described as light, frothy fun and pronounced the play Neil Simon wrote just to make audiences laugh.
"It's been 16 years since we've done this show here," said Madison Mooney, Executive Director for The Playhouse. "I think it's so cool that a few of the volunteers who put up the set in 2001 were on hand to do it again in 2017. Our volunteers are the best!"
It's not just volunteers who stick around. James Rice returns to The Playhouse as the director of Rumors. He recently directed Lysistrata in the Studio Theatre. And Rumors isn't his first comedy on the Mainstage, in 2013 he directed Boeing Boeing to audience acclaim.
Ten talented actors pull off the frenzied humor of the Simon farce. Several are faces well-known to Playhouse audiences including Sarah Green, Cort Huckabone, Lee Samuel Tanng, Jeff Cheezum, Eva Daily, Gary Douglas, Fiona Austin, Richard Golfin III, Ashley Gilmore and Susie McCarthy.
"I think we're all ready for some fun," said Mooney. "Between the rain and so much going on in the world, I think people will be happy to come to The Playhouse and settle in for a laugh-out-loud good time. This is the show to do it!"
Neil Simon's Rumors opens on February 25 and runs through March 25.
Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling 562-494-1014, option 1.
Long Beach Playhouse is located at 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA, 90804, right across from the Long Beach Recreation golf course. The Playhouse is community-supported theatre with programs and events that cut across age, gender, ethnic, and cultural boundaries.
Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The box office is open Wednesday-Saturday from 3:00-8:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00-2:00 pm on scheduled matinees.
Promotional Design: Daisy Ramirez
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