When More Teeth was but a youth, the four members of KISS released individual solo albums at the height of their fame. This was 1978 when the KISS brand name carried such universality, that even establishment talk show hosts like Dinah Shore knew them and PBS kids' shows like "3-2-1 Contact" carried segments featuring the glam metal heroes from Queens. *Everyone* knew KISS. Almost...
Your doddering, out of touch Aunt Mary was not expected to know about them and if she did, you'd begin to wonder just how cool you really were, anyway. She had her own hero from New York who was also a household name. So when More Teeth asked for the Gene Simmons solo album and was told on Christmas by Aunt Mary that she had searched everywhere for "the Neil Simon record", it was ok...the anonymous record store clerk at Woolworths or wherever it was made the translation. Neil Simon was and still is a brand name in much the same way KISS was and Simmons himself has tried to become. The only thing left is for Simmons to star in or produce a Simon screenplay...which is not that impossible a notion....
For Neil Simon epitomizes easily digestable, popular, "safe" Theater. Almost anyone can name something he has written and almost every theatergoer, actor or production dilettante has had some experience with the man's output. A rallying cry for any company putting a Season together is: "do a Neil Simon show! It'll guarantee some butts in seats..." So when a Simon production comes around, we go to it expecting all of the familiar elements: snappy dialogue, predictable domestic issues, maybe a dash of military trivia or a sprinkle of contemporary relevance so we can tell 'The Sunshine Boys" apart from "Lost in Yonkers." Setup/Joke. Setup/Joke. Why mess with success?
And that's not to say that there's anything wrong with formulaic comedy. Especially when faced with producing a show outside in the middle of a neighborhood festival. Such is the challenge faced by The Contemporary Theater Company who wowed us with a spare production of 'Godot' last month and only an oversized classroom at their disposal. The show runs this weekend only (through the 15th) and competes for attention with a South County version of Waterfire and other happenings at Wakefield's Saugatucket Park. So More Teeth gratefully accepted the invitation to join Director Christopher Simpson and company and see how Contemporary shifts gears from the sublime to the safely ridiculous and takes on Simon's 1988 effort, 'Rumors'
One of the more refreshing things about seeing a show at Contemporary is the lack of pretension. As we mentioned, their productions are in odd locations and a little guidance is necessary to get where you're going. After leaving the parking lot, we're greeted with a sign that reads simply, "PLAY." Not, "Contemporary Theater This Way" or anything announcing their presence, just a simple, zen-like declaration of intent and purpose - PLAY. And we believe them. If this crew is here to do nothing else this evening, they are not going to make us try and forget we are sitting under a
tent in the middle of the park. They are not going to spend hours and money to perfect an elaborate set that conveys the perfect balance of Old Money mansion with 80's contemporary furnishings. Heck, they won't even try to fool us with windows that have panes in them or make any attempt to dress the apron of the platforms they stand on. This is not a ruse. This is an invitation to PLAY.
And play they do...
The preshow sets us firmly in the worst part of the 80's (if they thought we wouldn't notice the long, bloated version of "Tainted Love", they were wrong) Lily Mathews' dress is the first glimpse we get of where they concentrated on getting the period touches correct. We'll soon be in for a sea of rolled up sports coats and black and white prints. That dress enters on a surprisingly transformed Laura Kennedy who was last seen as a young boy in 'Godot' Here, she is certainly no boy, but joins several other cast members who seem on the younger side of the characters they are cast to portray. Director Chris Simpson has assembled a strong ensemble,however,that mostly defy us to notice what year they were born. Nevan Richard also returns from the 'Godot' cast and is one of the few cast members who comes across as age-appropriate (apart from Terry Simpson as the bleeding green Irish cop and Calvin Campany's preening Glenn Cooper).Richards manages to deliver a manic version of John Cusack with ease and he quickly establishes himself as the pacesetter for the herd. Riding on top of that energy, Grace Danna maintains an icy composure, dripping with sarcasm as the rest of her co-conspirators attempt to wrap their heads around the idea of how to prevent their seemingly suicidal host from dropping dead of a bad reputation.
The conceit which sets off the series of events is the host of a dinner party found with a smoking gun and a hole in his earlobe. Everything that happens after that is based on wild imagination, climaxing in Stephen Strenio's Lenny Ganz posing as the absent host and reeling off a shaggy dog tale to the police that should be a tour de force of gleeful, desperate abandon. However, Strenio, so committed and engaging in 'Waiting For Godot', doesn't quite get there. In fact, he seems to be underutilizing his considerable talent throughout and rarely connects fully with anyone else
onstage. The characters in 'Rumors' spend the play conjuring up tales of what must have happend, could have happened or needed to have happened in order to serve their own purposes and save their skins. More Teeth was so surprised that Strenio failed to deliver here that we even had a debate as to whether or not this was the same actor. The man onstage was clearly talented, but seemed superimposed upon the rest. So here's our (completely made up) explanation:
Christopher Simpson, fresh off of the existentialist nightmare of playing Pozzo in 'Godot' turned back the clock to put on his Director's hat. Having done 'Rumors' with Courthouse five years ago, he knew that he could slot the comfort-food of Simon's living room farce in almost anywhere they could assemble enough slamming doors to push an eager young cast through. Back in the Fall of 2009, having been asked by the Wakefield Town Council to help them deliver some entertainment for the Summer Festival, he was stuck. They were figuring on some of those "kids from Contemporary" to do a dramatic reading or two or maybe even sing. People like singing. But Simpson, favoring something meatier, went to the Board at Contemporary and gathered support to stage a full-blown production instead. Knowing that 'Godot' would be closing only shortly beforehand, vice-president Strenio reminded him that there should be no overlapping in cast members,and he certainly was not able to do both. Simpson assured him that this would not be the case. Reminded that as a 'Godot' cast member and the potential director for 'Rumors', he, Simpson, would be the most overextended of all. Simpson concurred, but assured them that since he had just given up his position lobbying for Arts funding in Kent County middle schools, he had free time during the afternoons to rehearse a cast that would consist mainly of students on Summer break anyway. Nevan Richard, having just graduated URI, claimed to also have no job and would do 'Rumors' as long as he didn't have to wear boots. Simpson urged Strenio to get on board, offering to rehearse with him during 'Godot' intermissions. Strenio refused and reminded Simpson of his day job playing sqeezebox in a Low Anthem tribute band, which necessitated keeping his ZZ Top-esque facial hair. The cast was nearly complete, including Lillian Mathews, who appeared in Simpson's first production of 'Rumors' in 2005. 'Godot''s Laura Kennedy then begged Simpson to take her on board, having just been offered no less than three opportunities to appear as Oliver Twist. Casting was complete except for the part of the rakish Lenny Ganz. Going into rehearsals, no less than 12 Lenny's came and went citing Lyme disease, religious exemptions and/or ennui. These included Kevin Broccoli, Matthew Royality-Lindman, Charlie Hall and even Simpson himself. A RISCA Grant came through, allowing Contemporary to offer an Equity salary to Christopher Walken who bowed out on August 10th, citing conflicts with Arlene Violet and a "non-Festival appearance" clause in his contract. Desperate, facing opening night without a perfect Lenny, Simpson reminded Strenio of his obligations to the Board and the fact that while Low Anthem was in Europe everyone forgot who they were. A sponsorship deal with Schick was arranged whereby Strenio would shave and donate the beard to the AAC (Albino Amish Charities). With 24 hours to rehearse, Final Dress was achieved only by means of writing his lines on his forearms, thereby necessitating keeping his sleeves rolled up, and ultimately placing an earpiece under a bandage on his head for the final, rollicking monologue that climaxes the show, fed to him by production manager Jillian Thacher and relayed via Officer Pudney's walkie talkie.
Tangents aside, it's not necessary to try and devise a reason why Strenio or anyone else is not altogether polished for this production. It takes longer to ask that question than the show even runs. Lenny's rant turns out to be possibly true in the end and even if ours has any trace of viability, that misses the point. The point here is to head out to a pretty, often forgotten part of the state and see one of RI's better companies entertain us. Contemporary's 'Rumors' is an enjoyable romp in a relaxed atmosphere that delivers plenty of laughter by a fine cast. Clearly, some people have way too much time to think about clever things to say. Ok, guilty as charged...but we were thinking of Neil Simon, actually.
Neil Simon's 'Rumors' is presented by The Contemporary Theater Company through August 15th. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.thecontemporarytheater.com/festival . Parking is fairly easy . Be prepared for two hours on a folding chair outdoors...
