by Ezabelle Janssen, Senior Staff Writer

PASS CHRISTIAN (GG) — Secrets rarely stay secret for long, especially when four couples, two police officers, a missing woman, and a mysterious gunshot are all under one roof. 

Rumors flew during Theatre in the Pass’s production of Neil Simon’s 1988 farce, which closed on Sunday, September 27th, before a full house. Filled with marital mishaps, frantic cover-ups, and mounting confusion, the production turned one disastrous dinner party into an evening of nonstop laughter at the Randolph Center. 

The story begins when Ken and Chris Gorman arrive at Charlie and Myra Brock’s home for an anniversary celebration, but instead of finding their hosts ready to entertain, they find Charlie is injured from an apparent gunshot, and Myra is nowhere to be found. As more guests arrive, every attempt to conceal the situation creates another question, accusation, and increasingly ridiculous explanation. 

Director Gail Trahan said the comedy made Rumors stand out while Theatre in the Pass made its season’s selections. “This is the one that really hit home for me because I thought it was so funny from the beginning to the very end,” Trahan said. 

That humor translated easily onto the stage, with the audience laughing throughout Sunday’s performance. Much of the comedy came from watching the characters try to maintain an appearance of sophistication while their planned evening unraveled around them. Each couple brought a different dynamic to the confusion. Joe Kelly and Michelle Martin, JD, played Ken and Chris Gorman, whose efforts to control the situation turned them into panicked partners. Stephen Scott and Genie Talbert appeared as Leonard and Claire Ganz, whose cynical banter brought comedic relief to every scene. Richard Allard and Lyn Hutchinson portrayed Glenn and Cassie Cooper, a toxic pair whose suspicion heightened the evening’s tension. Chad Martin and assistant director Elizabeth Ishee rounded out the group as the eccentric Ernie and Cookie Cusack. 

Actors hurried through doors, raced up the stairs, and scrambled to keep their stories straight as each rumor procured another. The elaborate set gave them plenty of room to do so. Featuring a staircase, elevated landing, furniture, painted walls, and several working doors, it was one of Theatre in the Pass’s most intricate settings to date. 

Since the entire play unfolded in one location, the group was able to create one detailed home rather than stage multiple scene changes. The doors became especially important, as characters kept arriving at the worst possible moments. 

Trahan said the set took months to build and another two weeks to assemble inside the performance space. “We have a gentleman who has been building sets for a very long time who has just started working with us,” she explained. “He knew what we needed to do for this set, so we put our ideas together, and this is what he came up with.” 

The final performance was a fitting conclusion to months of preparation. “Today was the best show,” Trahan expressed. “We had a fabulous audience. The audience is always important, and

the cast was—they were on it. They were hot.” That connection was evident as laughter filled the room. 

Rumors ended as any story built on gossip should: with enough uncertainty for audience members to reach their own conclusions about Charlie, Myra, and what truly happened. After watching secrets multiply, marriages unravel, and explanations become increasingly outrageous, attendees were free to decide which version they believed… or perhaps spread a few rumors of their own. 

Theatre in the Pass will return in November with The Nutcracker, directed by Paige Ladner. The production will also be giving the teenage assistant directors an opportunity to learn about behind-the-scenes work. 

“The teacher’s always there,” Trahan said. “I’m teaching them to grow into the program.”

(Photos by Ezabelle Janssen/The Gazebo Gazette)