There are only three more chances left to catch Rumors, a farce by Neil Simon, at Timberline High School’s theater. There will be a matinee show during school today and an evening show for the next two nights. 
    Rumors takes place at a dinner party, but not just any dinner party. The farce brings the audience into an evening that is unpredictable and fast-paced. With four couples and two cops in the total cast there are many relationships to be observed and plenty of chances for miscommunication. Set in New York City, the party begins because it is the tenth wedding anniversary of the city’s deputy mayor, Charley Brock, and his wife, Myra Brock. Though when the first couple arrives they come to see that Charley was shot in the ear, Myra is nowhere to be seen, and most importantly the help is gone. Hilarity ensues as the couples cover up out of loyalty for Charley. 
    Marissa Jacobsen, a sophomore who performs as Chris Gorman, said “[Rumors is an] everyday situation but over the top. It’s a blown up situation.”

Rumors is “over the top” 
    Cassie Sinclair-Nixon, a senior who plays Cassie Cooper, explained what a farce is and why Rumors is part of that genre. 
    “A farce is an over exaggeration to events that happen in real life. Rumors is a farce because it takes types of couples and people and takes it to the extreme,” said Sinclair-Nixon. 
    Part of the reason Rumors is a farce is because of the physical comedy. The events throughout the evening, which are described as “extreme” and “over the top,” happen because of injuries. According to Dallen Graff, a junior who plays Ernie Cusack, “A lot of ridiculous stuff happens that wouldn’t happen in real life.”
    These injuries are inflicted upon more than half the cast. There is a neck injury, a thrown out back, burnt hands, someone goes deaf, someone gets hit in the nose, and finally a character becomes mentally distressed. Jacob Hoff, a sophomore who performs as Lenny Ganz said, “Basically, it’s based off gags.”

Characters are stereotypical
    With all these weird events found in the play, Timberline’s actors are able to use their acting abilities. Athena Ward, a senior who is the stage manager for Rumors, has a front row seat to the physical comedy the play has to offer. Ward believes that the characters in Rumors are stereotypes of people we know, just taken to a more extreme level. This is where the physical comedy and stereotypes come to effect the way the characters in the play are acted out. 
    “Physical comedy [is] having to act more dramatic than they would, so [the actors] have to act huge,” said Ward. Ward continued to say that physical comedy is something you have to learn and is hard to do.
    Jacobsen added that “[The physical comedy is] a lot of hands being thrown about.”
Sinclair-Nixon commented about how the movements, known as “blocking” in the theater world, are demanding for an actor: “All the [blocking] is a problem because you have to be constantly moving. It’s like a workout.”
    In a high energy play like Rumors there is a lot of blocking. Graff also spoke about blocking “Trying to run away while talking to someone is confusing, but it works out though.”
    The physical comedy and injuries all happen because the four couples feel obligated to cover for Charley Brock. Charley Brock is interesting because his presence is felt throughout the entire play but he himself never actually speaks. Hoff stated that Charley Brock is locked in a room. He shot himself, but we don’t know why.
    Ian Carroll, a junior who plays Ken Gorman, clarified the character of Charley Brock, “No one plays Charley. No one talks for Charley. He is sort of an inferred character that anyone can make their mind up [about].”
    Simon, the playwright for Rumors, also wrote another recent play performed at Timberline, The Odd Couple. Graff acknowledged Simon as one of his favorite playwrights and the language and reactions found in Rumors appeals to high school students. “I know [Simon] is one of the greats,” Carroll said.
    Though Rumors made its debut in 1988, according to the Educational Theater Association it is ranked second on the list of top ten full-length plays for high school theater. Rumors is only behind William Shakespeare’s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. More than twenty years since it was written Rumors continues to be popular to high school students. Sinclair-Nixon guessesd why after twenty years Rumors continues to be performed: “I feel like it appeals to high school students because it takes common situations we’ve all heard, seen, or been apart of. It gives students a chance to laugh at themselves in a positive way.”
    Despite the twenty-two years that have passed since the play first began, laughter is always fresh for audiences. Ward said that the characters are very extreme and entertaining to watch. 
    “There are a few references that are outdated, but [Rumors is] still very modern,” said Jacobsen. Jacobsen added that Rumors will still continue to be very modern. 
    Sinclair-Nixon takes a dreamy view about the age of the play: “Even though style or taste changes I don’t think situations necessarily change because it’s a different decade.”