Our second Neil Simon show, Rumors was as unlike our first (The Good Doctor) as it could possibly be. Rumors is Simon's try at classic farce. The plot is almost non-existent, there's lots of confusion over who is where and who is who, not forgetting people falling, rushing around and genrally getting in each other's way - and then a policeman rushes in! The play survives on pace and comittment.

The story so far:
Charlie and Myra Brock have invited their friends for dinner. Chris and Ken Gorman (Ariane Barron and Kurt Lauer)are first to arrive and find Charley, his head covered in blood, unconscious in the bedroom. Since Charley is deputy mayor of New York, whatever has happened has to be kept quiet. Claire and Lenny Ganz (Elizabeth Moritz and Angus Hepburn) arrive next. Larry has a stiff neck from whiplash after his BMW was hit by a crazy driver. Chris and Ken try to stop Claire and Lenny finding out what has happened -whatever it is! Then Cookie and Ernie Cusack (Susan Bond and Mark Snyder) appear and finally Cassie and Glen Cooper (Ginny Mastromonaco and D. Scott Faubel - the Coopers are in the midst of a huge fight. As they all try to stop each other finding our about Charlie and Myra (wherever she is!) the pace gets faster and faster and more and more confused, the police arrive to investigate the accident to Lenny's car since it was registered to Myra! (it had been stolen). By the time the guests work out why the police are there, they have given every indication of being guilty of -- somehing -- possibly envolving gunshots! Well those are the highlights of the plot but that's far from the end of the story!
At any rate, with its rip-roaring pace and flips from sanity to toal confusion, the play leaves little time to catch a breath. Everyone was exhausted by the end. But the audience's reactions made it all worth it.

Staging a farce in three-quarters poses some problems but with the addition of a staircase and a landing at the back, we succeeded in creating a functioning living room for the chaos! Almost every entrance was used.

The cast included several regulars and a healthy crop of new-comers. Ariane had been in PRT's first production and appeared in Hay Fever, Rags to Riches and Virginia Woolf. Angus Hepburn had, of course been involved in all the PRT shows in one way or another since the Company's beginning in 1993. Susan Bond and Ginny Mastromonaco had also both been with us since the founding of PRT and appeared in Holiday Gifts and Rags to Riches. Elizabeth Moritz had joined us for Hay Fever and made a welcome return. Of the newcomers, Steve Valerio and Jennifer Gonzeles had both been in the PRT acting classes. Kurt Lauer was well known in the area having appeared with Yorktown (where he had played Ken). Mark Snyder had appeared with the Hand-to-Mouth and Fort Hill players and was a Peekskill resident. D. Scott Faubel had also worked with Fort Hill and Hand-to-Mouth.