Theatre Simpson spreads ‘Rumors’ in new production

March 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m. and March 25 at 1 p.m., the Simpson Theatre Department will be performing a play called “Rumors” in Pote Theatre.

The show is directed by Tom Woldt, associate professor of theatre arts and was written by Neil Simon. “Rumors” is also premiering in conjunction with the 10th annual High School Theatre Festival held on March 26.

The play centers on four couples who arrive at different times to a townhouse of a New York City deputy and his wife to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. However, the party never gets started.

“Charley is the main character in the show that never actually appears on stage” junior Angela Vogel said. “Drama and hilarity ensues when the guests begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together and discover Charley has shot himself in the head, a superficial wound, and is passed out upstairs.”

“Rumors” is a fitting name for the play considering the story line as nobody truly knows what is occurring in the home.

The drama and hilarity continues until the police arrive much too late.

“This play is about a rumor and how rumors can get blown completely out of proportion,” junior Shelley Hagerty said. “The play is a comedy, and is constant action and anticipation as to what will happen or be said next. The characters lie to each other and go to extreme lengths to try to make their lies possible, but when everyone is lying to everyone else, the stories get mixed up real fast.”

“He’s unconscious, and they basically come up with all sorts of stories about what could have happened,” freshman Kyle Bochart said. “When the police arrive, we come up with even more crazy stories to convince them that everything is cool. I play Ken Gorman, a lawyer who is the first to arrive at the party. It is his idea to come up with a cover-up to what actually happened.”

Ken Gorman comes up with the cover-up story but the story becomes harder and harder to sustain when the others guests start to arrive because no one can remember who said what.

“This play is much different from the other shows that have been put on this season because it is packed full of comedy,” junior Angela Vogel said.

Hagerty agreed with Vogel on the nature of this show compared to previous performances put on.

“Every moment creates a laugh, unlike ‘One Flea Spare’ and ‘Standing on My Knees,’ which caused the audience to dispose of more tears than laughter,” Hagerty said. “In ‘Rumors,’ the conflict is expressed in physical, loud acting, which directly contrasts to the internal, gut wrenching conflict of ‘One Flea Spare’ and ‘Standing on My Knees.'”