Rumors Fly (and So Do Lies) in this Rollicking Farce
If you’ve ever hosted a gathering that went off the rails before the first drink was poured—Rumors will feel like sweet, hilarious revenge. Sonoma Arts Live presents this classic Neil Simon comedy through June 15, delivering a fast-paced evening full of mistaken identities, missing hosts, nosy neighbors, and plenty of snappy dialogue.
The moment the curtain rises, the message is clear: this is a farce. The set—stylish, upscale, and peppered with 6 doors in every direction—promises that what you’re about to see will involve people dashing, hiding, fibbing, and doing everything but telling the truth. And it absolutely delivers.
Director Larry Williams steers this chaotic ship with skill, letting the absurdity bubble up without ever boiling over. His cast keeps the momentum brisk and the laughter flowing, balancing farcical mayhem with character-driven charm.
From the first slammed door to the final frantic cover-up, this comedy never lets up.
The setup: Charlie and Myra Brock are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary at their elegant New York townhouse. At least, that’s the plan. When the first guests arrive, they find Charlie in the bedroom with a superficial bullet wound to his ear—and Myra has vanished. With no explanation and plenty of social reputation at stake, the guests hatch a cover-up on the fly. As more couples arrive, confusion compounds, lies multiply, and the whole evening devolves into one elaborate game of rumor control.
It’s a party where nobody knows what’s going on—but everyone has something to hide.
Photo Credit: Miller Oberlin
The cast of 10 plays 8 guests and 2 police officers—each performer delivering high-energy, sharply timed comedy. Jimmy Gagarin and Katie Kelley, as the first couple to arrive, kick off the frenzy with perfectly paced panic and quick-thinking cover stories. Jenny Veilleux gives Claire a dry wit and calm-in-the-storm composure that anchors the room—until her husband Lenny, played by Max Geide, unleashes a finale-worthy monologue that practically shakes the stage.
Max Geide’s one-man recap of the entire situation is worth the ticket alone.
In this unforgettable moment, Lenny attempts to “explain” the entire evening to the arriving police officers—playing every character, inventing motives, and barely keeping up with his own spinning tale. It’s a comedy showcase that alone is worth the price of admission.
Bright Eastman and John Gibbins, as Cookie and Ernie Cusack, bring excellent physical comedy and a slightly deranged optimism to the party. Matt Farrell and Chelsea Smith, as Glenn and Cassie Cooper, crank up the tension and bickering, adding fire to an already overloaded evening. Mike Pavone and Hudson Dorian Gorman, playing the police officers who arrive just in time to unravel the mess, provide the perfect deadpan punctuation to the evening’s frenzied energy.
Every entrance adds another match to the fuse—this cast knows how to light it up.
This is farce the way it’s meant to be: mistaken identities, frantic whispering behind closed doors, and guests climbing over one another to avoid being caught in a lie. But underneath the rapid-fire lines and slamming doors is a timeless theme: we’d rather invent wild stories than admit the truth—especially when company’s over.
If laughter is your goal, Rumors delivers—fast, funny, and fully unhinged.
Don’t miss the hilarity. Whether you’re a lifelong theatergoer or walking into your first live play, Rumors delivers pure fun, big laughs, and a reminder that the truth is sometimes stranger (and more inconvenient) than fiction.
Sonoma Arts Live presents Neil Simon’s Rumors
Now through June 15, 2025
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30pm
☀️ Sunday matinees at 2:00pm
Rotary Stage, Andrews Hall
Sonoma Community Center
276 East Napa Street, Sonoma, CA
️ Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased online at:
www.sonomaartslive.org
Credit cards accepted. Advance booking strongly recommended for weekend performances.
★★★★★
