by April Helms
Special Products Editor
Oh, what a scandal!
Several couples have gathered at the deputy mayor's posh New York home to celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary. There's a hitch: The deputy mayor has accidentally shot himself, is not talking about what happened, and his wife is missing. It's up to the party guests to try to avert certain disaster, especially when the local police arrive.
This is the basic premise of "Rumors," now on stage at the Aurora Community Theatre. This play by Neil Simon, which offers nearly non-stop laughs throughout, officially opens Aurora Community Theatre's 50th anniversary season.
The cast includes Eric Oswald (Lenny Ganz); Jen Klika (Claire Ganz); Adam Young (Ken Gorman); Chris White (Chris Gorman); Michael Green (Glenn Cooper); Tari Lyn Bergoine (Cassie Cooper); Kathy Steiner (Cookie Cusack); Mark Moore (Ernie Cusack); Sharon Brandon (Officer Welsh); and Deb Young (Officer Pudney).
"They worked so well together, and so hard," said Barbara Rhodes, director. "They just meshed together."
The audience on opening night Oct. 30 seemed enthusiastic about the comedy, laughing throughout and giving the cast a second curtain call.
"This was nice," said Larry Swoope, 12, of Akron. He came with his family to watch Brandon, who is his grandmother. "Some of the jokes were over my head but it was funny."
Dana Sceeny of Aurora said she "laughed the whole time we were here."
"I thought it was wonderful," Sceeny said.
Ticket and show information
"Rumors" will run through Nov. 21. The curtain will go up at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Tickets at $16 for adults, $11 for youth 18 and under, are available online, including seat selection, at www.auroracommmunitytheatre.com, or call the box office at 330-562-1818.
Group discounts are also available by calling the box office.
Next on stage
The Aurora Community Theater will next stage "A Tuna Christmas," directed by Barbara Rhodes and starring Brian Diehl and Kevin Horak. The show will run two weekends Dec. 4 and 5, and 11 and 12. Last year, the theater staged "Greater Tuna" with the two actors.
The theater's first play in 2010 will be "The Foreigner" by Larry Shue, which will run from Jan. 29 through Feb. 20. It will be directed by Roseann Canfora.
E-mail: ahelms@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3153