Rumors have it that Voorheesville Dionysians to put on play



VOORHEESVILLE – Rumors will fill the air around Voorheesville’s high school this weekend, and students are excited about it.

The Voorheesville Dionysians will perform Neil Simon’s Rumors with shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
"I think they’ve done a fantastic job," said Director Wayne Manchester of his cast.

The play, set in 1989, is a comedy that revolves around a couple – Charley and Myra Brock — who never actually appear on stage. The Brocks are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary, and have invited four couples to a party at their home, Manchester explained.

When the first guests arrive, they find that Mrs. Brock is missing, and her husband has a bullet through his earlobe, Manchester said.
The characters conjure up various stories as to what they think happened, Manchester said. They all try to protect each other "though no one has any clue what the real story is," he said.

Manchester and Producer Portia Hubert read through several scripts before settling on Rumors, he said. "We both agreed this one is very, very funny," he said.
Tryouts were held the first week of school, said Manchester. "We needed as much time as we could get," he said. There are exactly eight weeks from tryouts to opening night, he added.

Rumors is Manchester’s first play at Voorheesville. He is currently working as a teaching assistant in the high school, he said.
"The students have been very positive," said Manchester. "They are very dedicated to taking direction," he said. When Manchester makes suggestions, the actors "immediately put it right into their performances," he said.
"It’s been fantastic," he said excitedly.

Rumors is "very intense," Manchester said, ranking it as an eight or a nine out of 10 on a difficulty scale.
Manchester said that he has seen the actors’ raw skill develop and become "much stronger and much more sharp."

"Very good cast"
With a cast of only 10 characters, said Manchester, "Each character tends to be more noticeable.
"It’s hard to say that this play has any leads," he said. Even characters that don’t have many lines, have a presence that garners attention, he said.
Krystal Weigand, who plays a female cop named Officer Pudney, has only two lines, Manchester said. "She creates a presence on stage. People will laugh when they watch her on stage," he said.

Eric Sowalskie, a junior at Clayton A. Bouton High School, plays the part of Lenny Ganz.
"I think this play is pretty good," Sowalskie said. "It’s been a pretty long road to this stage," he said. "It’s going to be good. It’s really funny."
Sowalskie’s character is "a bit of an irritable man," he said, adding that Ganz is easily stressed.
"I have whiplash for most of the play," said Sowalskie of his character. "It’s hard to remember that I can’t move my head to the left," he said.

Ganz flips out at the end of the play, and that is difficult, said Sowalskie. Ganz starts yelling at everyone, he said.
"It’s fun, but you’ve got to find the right way to do it," Sowalskie said of his on-stage tirade. He explained that the buildup to the explosion is "hard to get perfect."

John Maddaloni, also a junior, plays Ken Gorman.
Maddaloni describes his character as being in between Ernie Cusack, whom he says is "calm," and Sowalskie’s more "crazy" character.
Maddaloni said that Gorman "freaks out on occasion" but can mostly hold it together.
He has been acting for about a year-and-a-half, Maddaloni said. "I think all of us have acted before."

One of the exciting aspects of Rumors, is that "you never know what’s going to happen next," Maddaloni said. "It’s funny."

Both Maddaloni and Sowalskie agreed that Manchester is a great director.
"He’s really cool... He’s an excellent director, just a fun guy," said Sowalskie. "He gives good pointers on what to do onstage," added Maddaloni.
"We have a very good cast," Maddaloni said. Of its small size, he said, "It’s harder because you’re more in the spotlight, but more fun because the characters have more to do in each scene."
"A small cast is better because, as an actor, you develop more of a relationship with those around you," said Sowalskie.
Maddaloni and Sowalskie say they would both like to continue to act following their high school graduation, though Sowalskie doesn’t think he will continue on after college because "there’s not a lot of money" in acting, he said.
Participating in the school plays is "definitely a positive aspect of the high-school experience," said Sowalskie, adding that it is extraordinarily exciting once it gets into "fortnight" — the two weeks prior to opening night.
"I’m going to miss it once it’s gone," Sowalskie said.
For Maddaloni, participating in school plays has helped him with his school work, he said. "Studying lines helps me study" for school, Maddaloni said.
Manchester said that his "only real fear" regarding the performances is that people won’t come to see how much hard work the kids have put into it.
"I’d hate for there to be a small audience," he said.
"I would love to direct future plays," said Manchester.
"I’ve worked with other high-school groups, and, hands down, this group takes notes to heart more than any other group I’ve seen," Manchester said. "They’re so adept at taking criticisms and using it to better themselves."

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The Voorheesville Dionysians will perform Rumors this weekend at the Performing Arts Center at the high school on Route 85A in Voorheesville. Show times will be at 7:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.