by dick kerekes dickkerekes@yahoo.com
“Laughter is the best medicine,” wrote author Norman Cousins. If that is true, then audiences at Orange Park Theatre were vastly overmedicated with laughter after seeing, RUMORS, the l988 farce by the contemporary comic genius Neil Simon. Like a lot of humor when you go to the theatre? Don’t miss this show running through January 27th.
I love good farce and Rumors has never failed to entertain me, even though I have seen it several times. If done well, it is always a riot, and the OPCT production is excellent from top to bottom.
In case you not familiar with the story, the setting is a living room of a posh home in New York. The story unfolds as guests arrive one after another to celebrate the 10th wedding anniversary of the host. Each couple arrives to learn the host is up stairs in bed, shot through the ear, and his wife and the cook are both missing. The first couple to arrive, the Gormans (Annabelle Howard and T. J. Howard) set the tone of deception for the evening. Ken is an up tight lawyer and wants to cover up the occurrence since the host Charlie is a high ranking city official. His wife Chis has a smoking withdrawal problem that sparks a lot of laughs
Mr. And Mrs. Ganz arrive. (John Pope and Sue Pope). Claire loves to gossip and her hyperactive accountant husband Lenny has problems of his own. His brand new BMW, with 12 miles on it was smashed on the way to the party causing whiplash.
A quirky psychoanalyst, Ernie Cusack (Stan Mesnick) and his TV cook show host, Cookie (Susan Carcaba) arrives. He holds group sessions over the phone in the kitchen, while she craws around the floor to cure her bad back.
The final couple, the Cooper’s played by Darrell Hudson and Beth Hudson, have lots of personal problems. Is this handsome politician Glenn, playing around while running for the senate? Cassie, his wife, is suspicious and sexy as well as insecure. She enjoys rubbing her crystal (and other men’s backs)
The final two characters are the police, sent to investigate the accident, who then get involved in the shooting. Krisoffer Knapp (now that is what I call a great stage name), is excellent as Officer Ben Welch, and looks and acts very professional in this role. Kirsten Walsh has fewer lines as Officer Purdney, but she is definitely the best looking police officer I have ever seen on or off the stage. (She can write me a ticket anytime).
If you have not noticed by reading this far, this play has something every unique.
Three of the couples on stage are husband and wife in real life. (Maybe that is why they were so believable!!) Yes, the Howards, the Popes, and the Hudsons, all really tied the knot once upon a time.
The show is successful, not only because of the outstanding cast, who are razor sharp with their, lines and many entrances and exits, but because Director Jim Bray and his Assistant Director Annabelle understand the pacing necessary for a farce. The characters have to treat all that madness on stage with absolute seriousness until the final outrageous monologue by Lenny (John Pope) that wraps this up into a neat comedy package.
Director Bray also designed the set, and made this amazingly small stage seem large, and I really believed there is a second story. Blynn Stevens coordinated the costumes with the cast, and the ladies gowns were gorgeous and sexy, and well filled out by the lovely ladies. Our kooky cook Cookie, worn a lovely 52 year old Russian folk dress while not dazzling it was interesting. The guys all sported nifty tuxedoes.
Kudos to Technical Director David Well’s excellent lighting design and I loved his sound effects, especially the loud flushing toilet. Applause to Stage Manager, Sherry Walsh, who is the traffic manager back stage that keeps all the timing fine-tuned.
I want to once again thank The Tom Nehl Fund of The Community Foundation for making this production possible. Their continued support of theatre in this area is greatly appreciated.
I have always considered this as one of Neil Simon’s best plays as he looks at the absurdness of urban society with his famous one-liners that will have you laughing till you cry. Don’t miss this show, it is the funniest I have seen this season at any theatre. Call 276-2599 for information and reservations. Visit their excellent website at www.opct.org.
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