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Unanswered
Questions
By
Kathy Ceceri
Rumors
By
Neil Simon, directed by Steve Fletcher
Curtain Call Theatre, through May 28
Ah, Mr. Simon. Some of my happiest moments have been spent
watching comedies like Barefoot in the Park and The
Sunshine Boys. So why doesn’t Rumors do it for
me?
Curtain Call Theatre’s production of this 1988 Broadway hit,
a sort of hybrid of farce and mystery about snooty suburban
couples trying to cover up a shooting, is marked by a wonderful
cast and fine directing. There are hilarious moments throughout—especially
James DiSalvatore’s elaborate impromptu explanation to the
world’s unlikeliest patrolwoman—as well as little bits of
stage business that are just priceless (like Josh Mandel’s
earplugs). But as a whole, the story, and especially the characters,
just don’t live up to Neil Simon’s best.
Four couples, all friends of New York City Deputy Mayor Charlie
Brock and his wife Myra, arrive for the Brocks’ 10th anniversary
party to find Charlie bleeding and Myra gone. Ken Gorman (Mandel),
the first to arrive, is Charlie’s lawyer and instructs his
wife Chris (Maryhelen Lounello) to keep word of the mishap
from the others. But Clair and Lenny Ganz (Carol Max and DiSalvatore)
are preoccupied with problems of their own: Their brand-new
Beemer was broadsided on the way over. Charlie’s shrink, Ernie
Cusack (Michael Hayes) can be expected to keep his mouth shut,
but his wife Cookie (Barbara Richards), a TV chef, cannot.
And the Coopers, Glenn (Aaron Holbritter) and Cassie (Joanna
Palladino), are too busy fighting to pay much attention to
anything else. Each is quirky and well-played, but none is
as nicely drawn as Felix and Oscar, or as interesting. And
the premise—that trouble will ensue if word of this mess gets
out—isn’t convincing enough to explain why the friends decide
not to call the doctor or the cops in to help.
Rumors
is full of questions that remain unanswered. Why did Charlie
shoot himself? Where is Myra? What happened to the cook, and
why is dinner sitting, unprepared, in the kitchen? To which
I add some of my own: Why does the deputy mayor of New York
live outside the city limits? Would a police officer really
cross the Tappan Zee Bridge to investigate a car accident?
And how come scenic designer Malachi Martin is so much better
at run-down than high-class? Too much time to think in the
middle of a farce is not a good thing. If Simon’s jokes had
overshadowed the mystery a little more, Rumors would
be a much better play. And Curtain Call’s many talents would
get even more chance to shine.
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