Scandal and mischief come alive in play

Rumors. The word triggers thoughts of scandal and mischief which are often the result of misunderstandings and half-truths. Renowned playwright Neil Simon expertly captures this in the brilliantly written farcical play Rumors which made its Broadway debut in 1988. Rumors will be making its debut on the Washington Community Center stage this Friday night, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. and you don?t want to miss this Harp Players production! The show will run March 10 and 11 and March 17 and 18 with a 7:30 p.m. start time each night. All profits from the show will go to benefit Camp REECE, a weeklong camp for people with disabilities held each summer at Lake Darling.

Set in New York City this hilarious comedy is brought to life under the direction of local veteran director Ed Colby. The story takes place in the home of the Deputy Mayor of New York City, Charlie Brock and his wife Myra, with friends gathering to celebrate Charlie and Myra?s 10th wedding anniversary. Friends of the Brocks, Ken and Chris Gorman (played by Greg and Lori Wiley), are the first to arrive and discover that the Brock?s are far from ready to throw a party.

The evening quickly begins to unravel as other guests arrive bringing their own issues to the party. Lenny and Claire Ganz (Mike Tschantz and Lisa Krotz) arrive after being involved in a mishap on the way to the party. They are followed by Ernie Cusack, a psychologist (Tom Dawson) and his eccentric wife Cookie (Cindy Seberg) who happens to have a TV cooking show. The last guests to arrive are Glenn and Cassie Cooper (Mike McNurlen and Brandi Glaspie) and to suggest that their relationship is a bit rocky would be a big understatement.

Things go from bad to worse (in a very funny way) when two police officers, Officer Welch (Dan Kitchen) and Officer Pudney (Elise Crone), arrive on the scene to investigate an incident that occurred earlier in the evening. Each cast member plays their part perfectly and the ending will have you in stitches. So, if you are looking for a fun evening with a lot of laughs, then do yourself a favor and go see this very funny show!

Well-deserved recognition goes out to crew leaders Lisa Hughes (costuming), Mike Kramme (set design and set decoration), Jeff Crone (lighting), Cat Nelson (set construction), Dawn Schindler (stage manager/props), Jon Gloyer and Willow Kane (sound), and Melody Lockard (publicity and artwork).

Tickets can be purchased online at www.wctheater.com or through the ticket office at 319-653-5175.

There are twists. There are turns. There are half-truths and misunderstandings, all of which go into the making of a fun, wild story and a great play. This is no rumor. I loved the Harp Player?s production of Rumors and you will too. Be sure to go see the show and help support Camp REECE.