[NEohioPAL]Western Reserve Playhouse 'Rumors" ---"Not one weak link"
Marie Dusini
mardus at sbcglobal.net
Thu Jun 7 14:52:23 PDT 2007
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Humor on stage in Western Reserve’s ‘Rumors’ By David Ritchey BATH — Rumors spread faster than melting butter.
Gossip can make or break a career. Neil Simon wrote “Rumors,” which opened on Broadway in 1988 and illustrates the power of the rumor. The Western Reserve Playhouse now is staging “Rumors” through June 16. Simon, who is in many ways the king of Broadway, movies and community theater, earned 17 Tony nominations and received three Tony Awards for the play, which ran for 535 performances on Broadway. He wrote “Rumors” just before his Pulitzer Prize-winning “Lost in Yonkers.”
“Rumors” deals with three upper-class New Yorkers who are attending an anniversary party. The hostess is missing; the serving staff is absent. The host has shot himself in the earlobe and is in his bedroom trying to get the bleeding to stop. Because of their position in New York society, the six find it necessary to keep the shooting and the other nonsense that is taking place from the police and reporters. Last year, director Mark Zimmerman staged the successful production of “Once Upon a Mattress” at Western Reserve Playhouse. This year, he attracted a top-shelf cast of local performers. Zimmerman sets a dizzying pace that keeps the audience gasping for a space to laugh. The laughs do come fast and furiously. Fortunately, this talented cast of 10 performers knows how to get a laugh with line delivery and physical comedy. Candace Russell plays Cookie Cusak, a TV personality known for her cooking show. Russell looks so much like Paula Deen, the TV cooking show
personality, that it’s easy to give her a backstory and accept her as the queen of Southern cuisine. Alex Nine (Ken Gorman) has been a staple in local theater for about 10 years. Zimmerman got the best performance from Nine that I’ve seen him deliver. Nine, finally, has earned his leading-man status. Jerry Schaber (Glenn Cooper) plays a candidate for the state senate with the correct amount of pomposity and rigidity. He was right on the money. He gets my vote for knowing how to dance around any policeman’s questions. The most unforgettable moments in the play come when Fig Jankowski as Lenny Ganz (but impersonating the host) attempts to explain the two gunshots, the missing hostess and two wrecked cars to Officer Welch (Marc Dusini) and Officer Pudney (Jessica Hale). When Jankowski finished the long monologue, I wanted to applaud. It was a spectacularly good scene, and Jankowski deserved the recognition for a job creatively done. The cast doesn’t have one weak
link. Zimmerman has the ability to get a cast to move to the same page in performance style and ability. Of course, that increases the believability of the production. And even if it is a comedy of one-liners by Simon, the audience must believe. From the laughter I heard in the theater, I would have to argue that the audience did believe. For ticket information, call (330) 620-7314.
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top:1206px; width:113px; height:24px; } --> </STYLE> <div></div> <div></div> <H2>Humor on stage in Western Reserve’s ‘Rumors’ </H2> <div> <div> <div><SPAN class=text72>By David Ritchey </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>BATH — Rumors spread faster than melting butter. <BR></SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>Gossip can make or break a career. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>Neil Simon wrote “Rumors,” which opened on Broadway in 1988 and illustrates the power of the rumor. The Western Reserve Playhouse now is staging “Rumors” through </SPAN><SPAN class=text17>June 16. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>Simon, who is in many ways the king of Broadway, movies and community theater, earned 17 Tony nominations and received three Tony Awards for the play, which ran for 535 performances on Broadway. He wrote “Rumors” just before his Pulitzer Prize-winning “Lost in Yonkers.” <BR></SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>“Rumors” deals
with three upper-class New Yorkers who are attending an anniversary party. The hostess is missing; the serving staff is absent. The host has shot himself in the earlobe and is in his bedroom trying to get the bleeding to stop. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>Because of their position in New York society, the six find it necessary to keep the shooting and the other nonsense that is taking place from the police and reporters. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>Last year, director Mark Zimmerman staged the successful production of “Once Upon a Mattress” at Western Reserve Playhouse. This year, he attracted a top-shelf cast of local performers. Zimmerman sets a dizzying pace that keeps the audience gasping for a space to laugh. The laughs do come fast and furiously. Fortunately, this talented cast of 10 performers knows how to get a laugh with line delivery and physical comedy. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>Candace Russell plays Cookie Cusak, a TV personality known for her
cooking show. Russell looks so much like Paula Deen, the TV cooking show personality, that it’s easy to give her a backstory and accept her as the queen of Southern cuisine. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>Alex Nine (Ken Gorman) has been a staple in local theater for about 10 years. Zimmerman got the best performance from Nine that I’ve seen him deliver. Nine, finally, has earned his leading-man status. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>Jerry Schaber (Glenn Cooper) plays a candidate for the state senate with the correct amount of pomposity and rigidity. He was right on the money. He gets my vote for knowing how to dance around any policeman’s questions. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>The most unforgettable moments in the play come when Fig Jankowski as Lenny Ganz (but impersonating the host) attempts to explain the two gunshots, the missing hostess and two wrecked cars to Officer Welch (Marc Dusini) and Officer Pudney (Jessica Hale). </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text17>When
Jankowski finished the long monologue, I wanted to applaud. It was a spectacularly good scene, and Jankowski deserved the recognition for a job creatively done. </SPAN> <div> <div><SPAN class=text17>The cast doesn’t have one weak link. Zimmerman has the ability to get a cast to </SPAN><SPAN class=text73>move to the same page in performance style and </SPAN><SPAN class=text73>ability. Of course, that increases the believability of the production. And even if it is a comedy of one-liners by Simon, the audience must believe. From the laughter I heard in the theater, I would have to argue that the audience did believe. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text73>For ticket information, call (330) 620-7314. </SPAN> <div><SPAN class=text70><BR></SPAN></div></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></div>
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