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Entertainment

How 'Rumors' started

The director of the Neil Simon comedy at the Richey Suncoast Theatre is in a familiar role.

By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published October 21, 2005

NEW PORT RICHEY - Five years ago, the Neil Simon farce Rumors drew huge crowds and won seven HAMI awards when it was presented at the Stage West Community Playhouse. Those awards included best director for Saul Leibner.

Now Leibner is directing that same show at the Richey Suncoast Theatre, continuing weekends through Nov. 6.

"Actually, this is the third time I've directed the show," Leibner said. He also directed it at Timber Pines.

Even so - and even though two of his Stage West performers are also in this production - Leibner said the Richey Suncoast show is an all-new experience.

"You always try to improve and look for things that you didn't do the first time," Leibner said. "I add things to characterization - you know, I'm a "character' person - and try to make it a little more frantic."

Indeed, Rumors itself is frantic; it's about four couples hurriedly trying to concoct a story that could save the career (and perhaps the life) of their friend and/or client, Deputy Mayor Charlie Brock, who has managed to get himself shot through the earlobe and has also misplaced his wife.

The action starts as the guests arrive at a dinner party at the Brocks' apartment. Chris and Ken Gorman (Betsy Glasson and Carlos Warner) arrive to find the dinner table bare and the servants gone.

They venture upstairs to find their host and look for his missing wife. To avoid scandal, they quickly make up a story to tell the other guests.

As the others arrive, they are suspicious of the Gormans' story and start making up their own; thus the title of the show.

There's Charlie's highly agitated accountant and those of Lenny Ganz (Bob Marcela) and his cool wife, Claire (Toni Marie Saperstein); Charlie's analyst, Ernie Cusack (George Lynch), and his television show hostess wife, Cookie (Anne Lakey), who must take over for the missing household help; and the ambitious young politician Glenn Cooper (John Krevens) and his lovely but somewhat eccentric wife, Cassie (Genevieve Griffin).

Of course, before it's all over, the cops (Scott Van Scoyk and Angela Brunda) are called, and the rumors get even more involved, outrageous and hysterical.

One difference between this and previous productions of Rumors is the language. The original script contains several coarse expressions, including the f-word.

That and many other profanities have been eliminated, said Charlie Skelton, president of the Richey Suncoast board.

"We take out what we think our audiences would find egregious," Skelton said. "We're toning down the language."

WHAT: Neil Simon's Rumors

WHERE: Richey Suncoast Theatre, 6237 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey

WHEN: Today through Sunday; Oct. 28-30 and Nov. 4-6. Shows are at 8 p.m., except Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

TICKETS: $15, reserved seats. Box office is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and an hour before each show. Call (727) 842-6777.

[Last modified October 21, 2005, 02:15:38]