Theater Review: 'Rumors' at Center Stage Theatre

By Nancy Sasso Janis

Center Stage Theatre in Shelton has produced a rollicking production of Neil Simon’s “Rumors,” which continues through Oct. 22. As directed by Rob Esposito, the farcical play barrels along, inviting the audience to hang on for the ride.

The breakneck action unfolds in a ritzy townhouse where the Deputy Mayor of New York has just shot himself before his wedding anniversary party. Though it's only a flesh wound, Charlie Brock's self-inflicted injury sets off a series of events causing four couples to experience a severe attack of farce as they scramble to get the story straight.

Esposito,who is a theater teacher at Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School in New Haven, has directed this play before with young performers and suggested that Center Stage add it to their season. “This show is fast-paced and uses every comic technique imaginable, from sight gags and clever word play to a few puns doused in buckets of sarcasm. To see Simon’s brilliant words take on new life and live in the actor’s bodies is a beautiful thing,” Esposito writes.

“Rumors,” Simon’s first farce which came out in 1988, is not one of my favorite Simon works. It usually causes me to smile, but I only manage a few laughs as the chaos unfolds onstage.

However, I did appreciate some of the choices that Esposito has made to spice up the performance. The best is a great opening scene that I don’t remember seeing before. All of the characters are introduced as they dance onstage to the perfect musical choice: Adele’s “Rumour Has It.” The same music clip is heard before the lights come up on the characters for the second act.

All of the actors bravely master a crushing amount of dialogue, often delivered with rapid back and forth speed. While the performances were a bit uneven, there was nonetheless some excellent comic timing on display in the cast. Three of the performers are former students of the director.

One former student, Joey Abate (“Head Over Heels” with Connecticut Theater Company) makes his Center Stage debut in the role of Officer Welch, who is part of the second act.

As the couple who arrives late and therefore did not hear the gunshots, Kyle Alston of New Haven plays the role of lawyer Ken Gorman in his Center stage debut and Maria Mongillo, an associate professor at Central Connecticut State University, does well as his wife Chris Gorman.

Stephen King, a professional musician and actor from New Haven, has excellent comic timing and stage presence as Lenny Ganz in his first show with Center Stage. He is matched with Denise Piana, who performs as a high school teacher by day and returns to the theatrical stage to take on the rich role of Claire Ganz.

Briana B. Dawson, a teaching artist with Elm Shakespeare who played Crystal in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s “Little Shop of Horrors,” is lovely as the new ager Cassie Cooper, the wife of Glenn Cooper, played with political slickness by Scott Sheldon (“Xanadu,” “BINGO Jamboree.”)

David Kaminski plays the role of Ernie Cusack in his sixth production with this venue and does well. Angela Mantero makes her Center Stage debut in what she deems the “delicious role” of Cookie Cusack.

Claire Fracasse (Dani in Summer Orlando’s “Hocus Pocus”) makes her stage debut at Center Stage in the role of Officer Puchney.

At least at the opening night performance, everything was far too loud. The music was at an ear splitting level, most of the microphones were too high and there was just too much shouting.

The set designed by Ron Baldwin is a work of art, complete with plenty of the requisite five doors and a window through which the headlights are able to shine. Baldwin has included a lovely staircase. Kathy Fox has decorated the set with excellent scenic design and Justin Zenchuk shows it off with his lighting design. The actors have been directed to make use of every inch of the set. The beautiful costumes designed by Katherine Sedlock show us that the characters are well-off. Briana B. Dawson is credited for the choreography.

The show runs through Oct. 22. For tickets: ci.ovationtix.com/29405

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theater reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, and she posts well over 100 reviews each year. She became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle in 2016. Her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted in the Naugatuck Patch as well as the Patch sites closest to the venue. She is also a feature writer and theater reviewer for the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column IN THE WINGS and theater reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

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