WC_051718

36 | May 17, 2018 | The winnetka Current LIFE & ARTS
winnetkacurrent.com
Spring play ‘Rumors’ brings farce to the New Trier stage
SUBMITTED BY NEW TRIER
HIGH SCHOOL
The Performing Arts
Division of New Trier
High School presented
this year’s spring play,
“Rumors” by Neil Simon,
with special arrangement
with Samuel French Inc.
The production ran May
9-11 in the Winnetka campus’
McGee Theatre.
“Rumors” takes place
at a large, tastefully-appointed
Sneden’s Landing
townhouse, where
the deputy mayor of New
York has just shot himself.
Though only a flesh
wound, it leads to a severe
attack of farce for four
couples involved. At this
10th wedding anniversary
party, the host lies bleeding
in the other room,
and his wife is nowhere
in sight. His lawyer, Ken,
and wife, Chris, must get
the story straight before
the other guests arrive.
As the confusions
and miscommunications
mount, the evening spins
off into classic, farcical
hilarity.
“I chose ‘Rumors’ this
year to give the kids a
chance to act in a Neil
Simon comedy, and work
specifically with his immaculate
sense of timing
and unique take on the
nature of farce,” Director
Ryan Dunn said. “The rehearsal
process has been
such zany-fun watching
the students take the material
and make it their own,
breaking for laughs as we
try and move through the
scenes together.
“It has been such a privilege
to watch these kids
grow into their characters
and to see how far they’ve
come in their high-school
career working through
New Trier’s theater program.”
Glenn Cooper, played by student Jacob Imber (second from left) accidentally let it slip to a police officer (far left),
played by Katie Maatman, that a gun went off in the house during New Trier’s production of “Rumors.” Partygoers
reacting to the news include students (left to right) Kelly Foy, Teddy Fischer, Elise Reehl, Rebecca Smith and Isaac
Slomski-Pritz. PHOTOS BY LOIS BERNSTEIN/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
Fischer, as Ken Gorman, tries to listen to what people
are saying outside the house.
Foy (center), as Cookie Cusack, has a bad back and is
helped to the couch by Max Rezek-TeWinkle (left), as
Lenny Ganz, and Reehl.
laugh
From Page 33
Standing;” Blake Burkhart,
a regular at Laugh
Factory and The Comedy
Bar; and Tim Walkoe, a
veteran headliner nationwide
and former tour comedian
with Kenny Loggins,
Whitney Houston
and Elvis Costello.
For $20, locals will see
Laible kick off the evening
with a 10-minute opening,
followed by 15-minute performances
by Sumpter and
Burkhart and a 40-minute
headline act by Walkhoe.
Laible said the show was
designed to last no more
than an hour-and-a-half because
audiences traditionally
prefer shorter sets.
“We found at Second
City that people will not
laugh any more than about
an hour and a half,” he
said. “No matter how funny
you are, they’re like,
‘I’m done laughing.’”
Laible also decided the
comedy series would be
best held on a weeknight,
since comedians tend to be
the most booked for weekend
work and travel.
The second comedy
night is already set for
the same time on July 17,
with Wilmette resident and
comedian Peter Lipsey
scheduled to perform. Following
a month break in
August, Laible said, the
series will be back in September,
hopefully turning
into a monthly event.
In addition to the show,
audience members will get
a $5 voucher for merchandise
at The Book Stall and
will be able to purchase
white wine and a few other
refreshments for the evening.
For more information on
Laible, visit richardlaible.
com, and to purchase tickets
to the After Hours Comedy
Series, visit brownpapertickets.com
and search
“The Book Stall After Dark
Comedy Series.”