This November, the Gibbons Drama program is presenting its production of Rumors, a play written by Neil Simon. Twenty Gibbons students divided among two casts – nicknamed the Charley cast and Myra cast, named after two of the play’s characters – are performing this farce in the Studio Theater the weekends of Nov. 2, 10, and 16.
Neil Simon was an American playwright and screenwriter from New York City whose writing became popular in the 1950s. He wrote more than 60 plays and screenplays – like Lost in Yonkers and The Dinner Party – which won him two Tonys and a Pulitzer Prize before he died in August of 2018. Rumors, written by Simon in 1988, follows four wealthy couples attending the 10th anniversary party of their good friends Charley and Myra Brock in Snedens Landing, N.Y.
When the first couple turns up at the Brock residence, Charley, the Deputy Mayor of New York, is lying unconscious in his bedroom with a bullet hole through his earlobe, and his wife Myra is nowhere to be found. As the attendees arrive in oblivious wonder, they concoct a flurry of rumors to attempt to hide the reality of Charley’s incident – without knowing the truth themselves. The party quickly dissolves into chaos, and things only intensify when the police get involved. Through a myriad of ferocious fights, deafening door slams, and foolish phone calls, Simon manages to illustrate the hilarity of panicked adults trying their hardest to maintain a calm facade in times of mayhem.
Mr. Kevin Ferguson, both the Head of the Fine Arts Department and a Drama/Musical Theater educator, is directing this fall’s production of Rumors. He previously directed this show at Gibbons in 2016 and performed in a local production a few years back. Under Ferguson’s direction, the cast, crew, and production team of both students and educators have devoted eight weeks of rehearsal to prepare this comedy for an audience.
“Gibbons Drama changed me as a person. I’ve become a more open-minded individual and a better actor… we all lift each other up,” said Jordon Dowd, a.k.a “JD” (Class of 2024).
Dowd has performed in four of Mr. Ferguson’s previous productions, and is a dedicated member of the Drama Leadership Team. He is portraying the hot-headed Lenny Ganz in the Myra Cast of Rumors.
“It’s one of the funniest shows that you’ll ever see in your life,” said Dowd. “It’s a good time and good comedy. Funny costumes, great actors. Everything you could want out of the whole theater thing.”
Come watch JD and the rest of the cast in a night of insanity! Rumors runs for two more weekends, closing Nov. 18. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at cghsnc.org/fine-arts/drama. Get them soon before they sell out!
Play Schedule:
Myra Cast: Nov. 11 (7:30 p.m.), 17 (7 p.m.), 18 (7 p.m.)
Charley Cast: Nov. 10 (7:30 p.m.), 16 (7 p.m.), 18 (2:30 p.m.)
