11/11/2005
'Rumors' getting laughs
JASON PISANO

Last night the Coventry High School drama club presented their debut performance of "Rumors," a farce by Neil Simon.



Mike Wilkinson, Drama Program Director at Coventry High School, explained that as a drama teacher he is always seeking to expand his students' base of experience and knowledge of all theatre genres.

"This energetic, old-fashioned, door-slamming farce depicts the mayhem that results when gossip and deception run amok.

Intended to be a highly entertaining and lighthearted show, audiences have enjoyed this laugh-out-loud romp which has proved to be one of the most popularly produced productions by high schools across our nation," said Wilkinson.

"Neil Simon is considered by many to be America's most prolific and popular comic playwright. He has written 28 plays and has had more hits in the theatre than any other American playwright," noted Wilkinson. "I feel this is a wonderful and challenging project for my students."

According to Wilkinson, the premise of this two hour long production is set around a 10-year wedding anniversary party that goes slightly askew.

The deputy mayor of New York City and his wife invite four couples to their lavish suburban home but when the first two guests arrive, they discover their hostess missing and their host lying upstairs, suffering from a superficial bullet wound.

The couple attempts to hide what they fear is scandal from the second couple, who try to hide it from the third, and so on, until all the guests (plus the police) are caught up in a fast-paced, hilarious tale of rumor and misunderstanding.

Wilkinson said there are approximately 50 students actively participating in this production, all of whom have gone through a vigorous rehearsal schedule.

The rehearsal period for this particular production was demanding on students, spanning for nearly seven weeks.

Students rehearsed five days per week, Tuesday through Saturday, which is normal for a non-musical production.

The group's hard work and dedication to both each other and their craft are as evident in this performance as in the past. Coventry High School's drama club has won three of the past five state competitions it has entered.

Wilkinson encourages everyone to come out and enjoy a fun night filled with great performances by some very talented young adults.

"If you are looking to laugh, to escape, to appreciate, to learn what is possible from a disciplined team of professionally minded artists, regardless of age, you will love our play," he said. "We don't have any stars here. We are a team with every member having equal collaborative importance."

If you missed last night's show, additional performances are scheduled for tonight and tomorrow. The curtain call for this sidesplitting comedy is 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday in the high school auditorium.

Tickets for "Rumors" can be purchased each night at the door. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students.