THEATER REVIEW -- Tom Titus

Over the last four decades, Neil Simon has firmly established himself

as the king of America’s comedy playwrights, but not until the late 1980s

did he give vent to pure, unadulterated farce. Before that, his closest

approach to this genre was the third act of “Plaza Suite” more than 30

years ago.

With “Rumors,” however, Simon’s patented one-liners link up with

uproarious sight gags in a convoluted plot that requires repeated

viewings to truly sort out. It’s also a rarity in the Simon canon -- a

true ensemble comedy, with the good stuff spread quite democratically

among its eight principal characters, and containing nearly as much

dialogue in the key of F as your typical David Mamet opus, something

Simon has shied away from in the past.

Naturally, this is a play local community theaters have pounced on,

and currently the “Rumors” are flying at Costa Mesa’s Trilogy Playhouse,

where a marvelously balanced company plays the farce to the hilt under

the practiced guiding hand of director Alicia Butler. No matter that

we’ve seen this work nearly as often as we have “Steel Magnolias,” the

zingers still zing when launched by a cast as capable as that at the

Trilogy.

The occasion for all the fun and frolic is an anniversary party hosted

by a couple we never see. The husband is recovering from a bullet wound

to the ear, and the wife is missing. A recipe for madcap comedy?

Absolutely, when the four invited and formally garbed couples concoct

their own interpretations as to what might have happened.

First on the scene are Ken (Jamie Polli) and Chris (Jillary Gordon), a

pair of lawyers striving to apply the proper spin on the situation. Then

come Lenny (James Mulligan) and Claire (Beth Merrill Davis), an

accountant and his wife, whose new BMW has just been broadsided, leaving

Lenny with a severe case of whiplash.

Psychiatrist Ernie (Wes Martens) and his TV cooking show hostess wife,

Cookie (Sharon Simonian), are next on the scene, both enduring liberal

doses of physical pain (her sprained back; his burned fingers) throughout

the evening. Finally, we get squabbling spouses Glenn (Dave Schade), a

nervous aspiring politician, and Cassie (Karen Franson), seething with

jealousy which may or may not be justified.

Mixed together and stirred vigorously, this company interacts with

vigor and verve, a capable ensemble with numerous individual highlights

emerging. Chief among these are Mulligan’s convoluted explanation to the

curious police officers (Justin Brusca and Jenny Stumpf) and Franson’s

tense tantrums, which morph into comedic vamping.

Gordon’s aching nicotine withdrawal and Polli’s gunshot-inspired

deafness also garner a plethora of laughs, while Martens’ and Simonian’s

middle-aged billing and cooing contrast nicely with the rancorous jibes

hurled by Schade and Franson. Mulligan and Davis lift the show’s comedy

level as they plot to save their unseen friends further embarrassment.

Mulligan, as always, serves as scenic designer, creating an

attractive, upper-class interior setting on which the comic bedlam is

played out. Butler has done a fine job highlighting the contributions of

each performer on a small stage housing eight -- sometimes 10 -- actors

at once.

“Rumors” may be a familiar property in local community theater

circles, but its frantic comic desperation remains fresh and exceedingly

funny in the hands of a superior ensemble such as the cast at the Trilogy

Playhouse. This is Neil Simon at his absolute funniest.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Thursdays and Saturdays.

FYI

* What: “Rumors”

* Where: Trilogy Playhouse, 2930 Bristol St., Costa Mesa

* When: Through April 14. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 5 p.m.

Sundays

* Cost: $13 or $15* Call: (714) 957-3347, Ext. 1