‘Rumors’ spread at Thibodaux Playhouse

In 1988, Neil Simon followed his acclaimed trio of autobiographical plays – “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Biloxi Blues” and “Broadway Bound” – with “Rumors,” a comedy about what happens when a group of well-heeled guests arriving at an anniversary party for the deputy mayor of New York find him with a gunshot wound in the head, his wife gone and the party canceled.

Thibodaux is staging “Rumors” beginning April 18.

“It has funny, quick one-liners Simon is famous for,” said director Sheela Plater. “He’s right on the mark. There are lots of different characters.”

Those characters include a cooking show host, psychiatrist, lawyer, accountant and a trophy wife.

“There are tense moments and funny moments,” Plater said. “It really is a very funny show. It’s a good evening out. Cast your troubles aside. It can’t be beat.”

After discovering the hosts have grossly abdicated their responsibilities, the guests begin to vie with one another to see who will take charge. A rumor begins brewing that the deputy mayor’s wife shot him because he was having an affair.

“Everything is blown out of proportion explaining what may have happened,” Plater said.

The accountant Lenny Ganz (Blake Petit, who directed Thibodaux Playhouse’s “Lucky Stiff” last year) wants to contact the police but Ken Gorman (John Griffin, a cast member in “Lucky Stiff”) would rather conceal the incident.

Chris Gorman (Lana Lawrence) is a cool-headed lawyer on the job but is a “zany wife,” according to Plater.

“She can’t handle what’s going on-the lying to people,” Plater said. “She starts to drink a lot.”

Lawrence, Petit and Earl LeBlanc, who plays the psychiatrist Ernie Cusack, are all stage veterans. Plater called Lawrence “a good actress.”

Petit’s sister Heather Keller is the trophy wife of Glenn Cooper (Joe Hamilton).

Daphne Hebert, who portrayed the mother of the murderous moppet this year in Thibodaux Playhouse’s “The Bad Seed,” plays a cooking show host in this outing.

Stage newcomer Erica Annis, Tom Simons and Shay Shaw round out the cast.

Plater, a former ballet teacher, has been involved with Thibodaux Playhouse since the 1970s. She said she scrubbed the profane language out of Simon’s script to suit the playhouse audience.

Brian’s for the Home in Thibodaux is lending the furniture for the posh set.

Tickets are $10 for adults. For reservations, call (985) 446-1896.