‘Rumors,’ a wacky romp of a good time, coming soon to PSP stage

Pacifica Spindrift Players brings a Neil Simon comedy to life with the staging of “Rumors” at the Oddstad Theater.

Directed by John Hull, the play features a cast of hardy comedians who can dish out what Simon serves up.

“Neil Simon created a ridiculous situation and saw how far he could explore the comic possibilities in the situation he created and show how all the actors react to it,” Hull said.

Set at the scene of a home in the present day, couples arrive at an anniversary party to find the host unable to talk with them. He has been shot and he soon passes out. Nothing has been prepared for the party to which they have been invited. As the other guests arrive, they try to cover up the fact that the host has been shot, as they suspect a suicide. Gradually, more of the guests are let in on the secret, but they try and keep the information from those who still don’t know.

“Even though it’s ridiculous, I think a lot of the reactions are exaggerations about ways people would really react. People will recognize them as people they know, even though it’s not realistic,” Hull said.

It’s an ensemble piece that often features all ten actors on stage at the same time. Not too easy to pull off on the small stage in Pacifica.

“It gives the cast a lot of opportunity. It plays very quickly,” Hull said.

Hull and the actors have worked over the last two months with elements of comedic timing.

“The actors are great. They have been a delight to work with. They are very hard working and consceincious. We worked a lot on pacing, which I think was really important. We are at the point where they really need an audience to share it with people. We’ve already laughed at the jokes. We need an audience to bring the whole thing alive. It should be a lot of fun,” Hull said.

This is Hull’s second production he has directed at PSP. He directed last year’s one acts – “The Dating Game” and “The Actor’s Nightmare.” Some of the actors who were with him then came back to work with him on “Rumors.” Now that he is retired from his job as a graphic designer, he can devote all his time to the theater. It’s the first time he has been able to do that since earning a master’s degree in set design from UCLA in the 1980s. He also works with Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond.

He’s excited to share “Rumors” with the audience in Pacifica.

“People should see it because it is a lot of fun,” he said.

If You Go:

Order tickets by calling 359-8002 or go to pacificaspindriftplayers.org.