Arts & Entertainment
Vpstart Crow Productions Presents 'Rumors'
Vpstart Crow Productions presents Neil Simon's hit play 'Rumors' at the Hylton Performing Arts Center next month.
When several wealthy couples gather for a dinner party, the only place for it to go is awry, right? At least this is playwright Neil Simon’s vision. In 1988, Simon’s play, Rumors, hit Broadway after eight previews. In a few short weeks, Vpstart Crow Productions will bring the show to Manassas at the.
Upon arrival, the guests find an absence of servants, a missing hostess and a host who has shot himself through the earlobe. They must work together to hide these suspicious events from the local police and media. Simon defines the play as a “farce,” or a comic dramatic work with unlikely situations.
“The thing about farce is that you can permit people to overact - be what people would naturally be, and maybe one step beyond,” said director Donald Neal, who is a big fan of Neil Simon.
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Neal has lost track, but guesses that he has directed about 50 plays in the Washington D.C. area. This is his first time directing a Vpstart (pronounced Upstart) Crow production, although he has previously acted with the company.
“You’d really have to try hard to make Neil Simon not be funny,” said actress Julie Cameron. “Plus, the cast is made up almost entirely of Vpstart veterans; we all know each other pretty well and I think that chemistry really shows up onstage.”
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This is Cameron’s seventh time acting with the theater production company, but she has produced and directed for the company prior to her big debut.
The cast began rehearsing in late May and meets three days per week for 3-5 hours.
Other cast members include: Tegan Cohen, Mike Rudden, Shaina Higgins, Rob Batarla, Maureen Frank, Larry Keeling, Matthew Randall, Jacqueline Brown and Wes Allen.
Rumors will run for two weekends, beginning on Friday, July 15, and ending on Sunday, July 24. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be a preview show at 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 14. All performances will be held at the
“There’s no moral message in this play. We’re here only to entertain,” said director Neal as a final note.
For tickets, visit the Hylton Center Box Office, or purchase online at http://www.vpstartcrow.com.
