Imagine a party with no host, no food and-gasp-no servants! What is a modern, upper-class couple to do? On Nov. 15, 17 and 18, Brandeis' Hillel Theater Group performed Neil Simon's Rumors, a comedic farce about a tenth wedding anniversary party gone wrong. The play, directed by Neal Rabinowtiz '13 and produced by Julie Bauer '14, begins hilariously with affluent suburban couple Ken and Chris Gorman in a fit of hysterics at their friend Charlie's house, where the soiree was to take place. Charlie, a successful politician, has attempted suicide after his wife left him and lies upstairs, suffering deliriously. The Gormans attempt to cover up the incident for fear it will create a political scandal. Throughout the night, the plot thickens as more and more couples enter the party, and shocking secrets are revealed.

The play was performed and produced extremely well and left the audience in hysterical laughter. The actors did an excellent job of creating unique, hilarious, memorable characters. Consisting of mostly dialogue, the show required a lot of energy to keep the audience interested, and the actors provided just that.

The audience was immediately intrigued by the Gorman couple, played by Aaron Fischer '15 and Sarah Pace '13, who were frantically attempting to deal with Charlie's gunshot wound, while hiding his adulterous marriage. Pace in particular played the panicky part of Chris Gorman perfectly, creating a sense of comedic apprehension through her expressive, worried faces and piercing voice. Kate Davis '14 charmed as the swanky yet snobbish Claire Ganz, another partygoer who often was a catalyst of drama, reveling in rumors of affairs, accidents and arguments. She utilized an affected finishing school accent and sophisticated, often blas?(c) gesticulations to convey her character's rich upbringing and frivolous lifestyle. The relationship of Claire and her somewhat nerdy husband Lenny was highlighted as Claire belittled his driving, job and general personality.

Additionally, a favorite part was the performance of Bethany Adam '15 as Cookie Cusack, another melodramatic dinner guest scorned for her outdated, unsophisticated style. Adam cracked up audiences particularly by her expert use of physical comedy, specifically her strange public displays of affection with her husband and her intermittent back spasms.
Another highlight was Lenny Ganz's (Christopher Knight '14) monologue, fallaciously describing to the police the night's unusual events. Knight did not allow the extended monologue to drag, and kept the audience laughing throughout as he flickered around stage, rambling brilliantly about how the car accidents, injuries and fights came to occur.

All of the actors were constantly in tune with the actions of the play and reacted accordingly. Many memorable moments could be found outside of the main plot, such as Cookie Cusack trying to sit in a chair, back spasming. The show was meticulous in its detail and included lots of comedic moments, although there was one noticeable weak spot when Glenn Cooper (Gabriel Guerra '14) and Cassie Cooper (Samantha LeVangie '15) arrived fighting over the husband's alleged infidelity, putting a damper on the uproarious event. However, this can be attributed to the script rather than the actors. 

The best behind-the-scenes work is the kind where the audience doesn't notice it's happening. The technical aspects of the show went off without a hitch. The sounds, such as the telephone ringing, seamlessly melded into the scenes with perfect timing. The set was well lit throughout, contrasting the chaotic scenes which were taking place.

The set, designed by Barbara Rugg '15, was the living room of the Gorman's house and was appropriate and well-constructed without being overly complicated. The set was an upper middle class family's take on minimalism-white walls, white furniture, modern art, and of course, a well-stocked bar. The costumes, designed by Emma McAfee-Hahn '13 and Jamie Perutz '13, thoughtfully contributed to each character, revealing something about their personalities, such as Claire Ganz's low cut, luxurious gown. The most significant costume moment was the outdated, hideous sequined dress of Cookie Cusack, ridiculed by the female guests of the party.

Rumors was extremely entertaining, humorous and a great example of Brandeis theater. The actors took a fantastically funny script and did their own spin on it, creating distinguishable, hilariously-nuanced characters. The actors clearly enjoyed playing their parts, and the audience enjoyed watching them and even gave a standing ovation. Because of my affinity for comedies, I may be slightly biased, but this was definitely the best Brandeis production I have seen so far.
*