When America’s most recognized and awarded and prolific TV and theater comedy writer – I’m speaking, of course, of the incomparable four-Emmy and 14 Tony, plus Pulitzer Prize-winning giant Neil Simon – decides to cheer himself up while “going through difficult times” by writing his “first farce” … We can expect it to be a doozy. RUMORS opened on Broadway in 1988 and ran for two years. All the while (at least in my opinion) setting a new, high bar for fast-paced, zany drawing-room comedy.
Simply keeping up with all the over-the-top insanity of Simon’s characters has audiences gasping and laughing nonstop. Sorry you felt you needed cheering up at that late stage in life, Neil Simon. But right now, at this stage in our lives, we certainly do. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You’ve managed to make us a lot happier in 2025 just by watching your very funny farce!
You can get happy, too, by exposing yourself to the sharp wit and comedic chaos that is “Rumors,” playing now through June 28th at the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre at Florida Atlantic University as the inaugural show of FAU’s Department of Theatre & Dance’s popular Festival Rep summer series. Where a new high bar in student production excellence appears to have been raised, as well.
Admittedly, the show’s nine leads are all FAU theater-experienced MFA Graduate students – some of whom also boast external acting credits. And their attentive, hands-on director, FAU Associate Professor Lee Soroko, is also a widely experienced actor/director, movement specialist and fight choreographer. Still none of the actors’ parts were easy; all had lots of lines with split-second timing and gross slapstick action. They never missed a beat. From the first loud gunshot, these student pros had us in the palm of their hands and riveted to our seats.
I’m letting you know about gunshots up front because while the program contains an italicized warning, in small print at the bottom of the title page, stating *This production contains the sound of gunfire. Audience discretion is advised* I don’t think anyone expected it to start the show and be so shockingly LOUD that we jump out of our seats. So be forewarned. If you happen to arrive a little drowsy, it’s a good thing too because now you’re completely alert and awake. Ready to pay rapt attention and keep up with all the wild shenanigans of the colorful cast.
Though what you notice first has nothing to do with action. It’s the supremely elegant, and old-fashioned (in that it’s all physically there – no video or lighting shortcuts) stage set. FAU’s more compact-sized Studio One Theatre (great for sight lines!) boasts an extra wide, deep and particularly high stage – perfect for the active, open staircase leading to the full second floor of a grand mansion in 1988 Sneden’s Landing, New York (now called “Palisades” in Rockland County). It’s a real, upper-crust neighborhood that Neil Simon likely knew well because it was popular among A-list actors, even often referred to as “Hollywood on the Hudson.” Scenic designer Natalia Burmeister (also an MFA Graduate Student) did a phenomenal job in depicting the setting’s opulence.
The mansion is home to deputy mayor of New York Charlie Brock and his wife Myra who’ve invited friends over to celebrate their 10th Wedding Anniversary. But Myra’s gone AWOL and though we hear plenty about Charlie – who’s botched his Valium-addled suicide attempt by shooting a bullet through his earlobe – he never actually appears in the play. (Yes, a bloody bullet wound on the ear of a politician, though here self-inflicted, still resonates too well and we bloody hell know too much about it.)
The opening gun blast and resulting attempts at a face-saving coverup by the hopelessly-incompetent-at-subterfuge party attendees serve as the instigator for much of the ensuing drama … and comedy. (Did you know attempting suicide is not only a “bad look” for a public figure, but also a crime?)
This not-so-happy anniversary celebration appears to be a couple’s party wherein Charlie and Myra’s friends arrive at intervals, two-by-two – four well-to-do, tuxedo- and cocktail-dressed couples in all, each with their own, outlandish personalities and couple dynamics. First on the scene are Chris (Casey Venema) and Ken Gorman (Jakari Dozie) who arrive just in time to hear the gunshot and while Ken runs upstairs to assess and clean up, he instructs his wife to call Dr. Dudley (who needs to be pulled for the emergency from his seat at “Phantom of the Opera”), then changes his mind about needing the doctor, after all. Poor Dr. Dudley (another character we never see) is “on call” a lot, as it appears every guest in that house has him on speed dial.
Ken keeps yelling down to Chris while she’s on the phone with Dr. Dudley to change her story as he’s now decided it’s likely just a flesh wound, and Charlie can sleep it off. Ken’s ever-evolving phone directions are driving Chris nuts and watching Casey Venema’s increasing agitation and frustration – both verbal and physical – are so spot on, we can already tell we’re viewing a first-rate performance by an actress with a bright future. While anyone who’s quit smoking will identify with her later smoking a Q-tip in desperation to calm her nerves and renewed nicotine cravings.
The call’s over, the doorbell rings, and Claire (Paige Rogers) and Lenny Ganz (Jonathan Leslie Palmer) arrive looking rather shaken as they’d just been in a hit-and-run accident that smashed the side of Lenny’s brand new BMW – which makes him madder than the fact that he’s suffering from whiplash and his neck is stuck bent-over to the side for the entire length of the play. His sense of humor, however, remains intact as he comments: “I look like a Modigliani painting.”
Jonathan Leslie Palmer as Lenny will delight us in Act II with an incredibly fast and furious monologue where he attempts to explain (by winging it) their situation to a suspicious cop (perfectly enacted by Gustavo Garcia as Officer Welch) and his associate Officer Pudney (Hannabelle Horace). The scene was a standout audience favorite, met with lengthy applause.
Claire and Lenny are hungry but can only find a sealed (and unopenable) bag of pretzels, while Claire notices “everything’s laid out in the kitchen but nothing’s cooked” and their hosts’ usual Japanese or Chinese cook (these folks don’t know the difference), as well as the expected butler, are nowhere on the premises. Their absence seems fishy and starts speculation about their friends’ marriage. Lenny states, “I hear gossip … I don’t listen to filth and garbage about my friend.” And then they argue because “There’s talk about Charlie and Myra. What are the rumors?” “Your friend Myra is having an affair,” Lenny tells Claire. “Not Myra,” Claire responds. “Your friend Charlie is running up a bill, a hotel bill.” And then she speculates that a deputy mayor couldn’t afford a place like this, but they say Myra is rich.
Ken fesses up to Lenny about what’s going on upstairs, and Lenny wants to call the cops, but is interrupted by the arrival of a Volvo, and another couple: Ernie (Robert Koutras) and Cookie Cusack (Karen Cohen) join the party. These two appear most lovey dovey, with Ernie, who is Charlie’s psychoanalyst, extremely solicitous to his wife’s ongoing back issues. Cookie comes carrying her own back pillow and can’t sit or stand for too long without sudden shooting back-bending spasms for which her husband provides both physical support and palliative massage. This unlikely duo also saves the day by getting everyone fed. TV cooking show host Cookie manages to provide a perfect dinner despite a major kitchen fiasco that leaves Cookie further incapacitated and Ernie’s hands severely burned – though with bandaged hands, he continues to help her with meal service.
OMG! Another shot is fired! But this time we’re ready and soon learn it’s just Ken who decided to put away Charlie’s gun, tripped, and accidentally fired it off into the ceiling. The loudness of the blast makes Ken practically deaf and now it’s Jakari Dozle’s turn to shine in his ongoing humorous misinterpretations of everything and anything that’s said around him.
There’s still hope for an appearance by Myra when they hear another car, but Lenny observes from the window: “Myra drives a Porsche; this is an Audi.” Do you get the feeling that, in this crowd, people are judged by the cars they keep? The final guest couple – one most obviously self-involved and contemptuous of one another – have arrived. Glenn (Carson Carter) is a slick-looking politician who’s running for State Senate. His trophy wife Cassie Cooper (Sadie Corley) is an insecure, emotional mess who keeps picking fights with her husband; her only source of solace being a special crystal which she lovingly caresses. Her husband despises the crystal, feels holding it makes her look insane … which pretty much happens when her precious totem falls down the toilet. What’s with women and their sacred objects? I now recall relatively sane Claire having conniptions when she thought she’d lost her mother’s earrings. But it’s all gist for the playwright’s parody and excellently executed here, as well.
Lots more wild observations, pretensions, accusations and reconciliations bounce among the privileged, often clueless, society members that Neil Simon’s assembled to skewer for our viewing pleasure. They seem to settle down a bit once they’re fed, but there are still quite a few more surprises in store in Act II … up until the very end. Which I’ll let you enjoy and discover on your own.
Before leaving, however, I must acknowledge FAU’s flawless creative and production teams. Stunning and appropriate costume design, including hair and makeup design by Dawn C. Shamburger, lighting design by Thomas M. Shorrock, sound design by Joel Rodriguez, production stage manager Brandy DeMil, technical director Rebecca Lucatero, stage manager Gianella Yanez (Senior BA in Theatre), and fight captain R. Owen Alonso, as well as all the hardworking students who labored behind the scenes to make this show a success.
Neil Simon’s first and first-class farce RUMORS is playing now through June 28 at the Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre of Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton 33431. For tickets to this show and all of FESTIVAL REP 2025 go to www.fauevents.com or call 561-297-6124.
