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The Mimes and Mummers’ production of Rumors by Neil Simon was a student-run production that fell a little short. The story, set in the 1980s, features eight main characters, four married couples who are to attend another couple’s anniversary party. The first couple arrives, only to find the wife and servants missing and Charlie, the husband, with a bullet hole through his earlobe. Charlie conveniently passes out, leaving everyone trying to figure out what happened and to keep the strange events a secret from each successive couple as they arrive.
The play opens with Chris Gorman (played by Kristen O’Hara, FCRH ’10) placing a frantic call to the doctor upon seeing Charlie bleeding from the head (Charlie never actually appears on stage, however). Chris, an ex-smoker, does not seem to be handling the situation with any amount of poise and bumbles through the conversation with the help of instructions shouted by her husband Ken (Peter Wallace, FRCH ’10).
Ken fears Charlie attempted suicide, a criminal offense back then, and does not want to give the doctor too much information.
When the next couple, Claire and Lenny Ganz (Kristin Guerin, FCRH ’12 and Jack Byrnes, FCRH ’12) arrive, the Gormans spend a few moments trying to cover up the situation before explaining what is really happening. The process is repeated when Cookie and Ernie Cusak (Kristie Koos, FCRH ’12 and Zach Redo, FCRH ’11) arrived, followed by Glenn and Cassie Cooper (Ryan Kincaid, FCRH ’10 and Stephanie Pennacchia, FCRH ’12).
After a lot of confusion, gossip and unnecessary shouting, the police show up. They concoct a complicated cover-up scheme, only to be ruined by Glenn, who nervously claims he did not hear the gunshots. “Gunshots? What gunshots? Well, you see, officer…”
Thankfully, Lenny poses as Charlie and fabricates a ridiculous explanation involving some anniversary champagne, some fake Spanish and a misunderstanding with the cook.
Miraculously, this story placates the officer, who departs, leaving the couples to speculate further. As the lights dim at the end, we hear Myra, the MIA wife of Charlie, shouting to be let out of the basement, telling us she’s been there the whole time, but really not much else.
The plot has a healthy dose of confusion and twists, something made more difficult to understand by the speed and volume at which most of the characters spoke. The idea seemed to be that any emotion more intense than “mellow” can be conveyed by talking at lightning speed, which made certain conversations extremely difficult to follow.
The show, directed by Lauren Reinhard, a professional director/writer, had more than a few overreaching attempts at physical humor, such as Ken running up and down the stairs to answer the questions of his wife at the bottom of the staircase, and an unseen debacle in the kitchen which leaves both Cookie and Ernie injured.
In fact, it is not just Charlie who came out of this “party” harmed – Glenn suffers a bloody nose (courtesy of his wife, who is angry about the affair she believes he is having), Ken loses his hearing after the gun accidently goes off next to his head, and Ernie incurs burns on his hands trying to help Cookie in the kitchen. It is notable that physical harm seems to turn the men from sharp, inquisitive professionals to bumbling, jovial buffoons.
Though the production had its ups and downs, a definite strength lay in the costume design. Set in the ’80s, there is a gratifying amount of blue eyeshadow, puff sleeves and glitter, with a few rhinestone buckles, a butt-bow and a white tux jacket.
Rumors had its share of stale physical gags and shallow character motivations, but the audience seemed to enjoy it and the actors clearly had fun. Despite my jaded, high-brow Broadway expectations, I found myself smiling during the ridiculous Beach Boys dance sequence and was really only slightly annoyed that I had to pay $10 to see it (they really stuck to the $10-without-Fordham-ID rule).
So, when I walked out of the theatre, ears ringing as if Ihad been shot in the lobe, I nevertheless could not help thinking that I probably will go see Into the Woods this spring and maybe it will meet my expectations.
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