“Everybody in the play has to be in trouble. I don't think one could do a leisurely farce. The words seem in opposition to each other. And I found that whenever the characters were not in jeopardy, I had to make just jokes, and the jokes weren't working, because they didn't have any sound basis. And so I had to keep all the characters in jeopardy.”
In a 1988 interview with The New York Times, Neil Simon reveals his formula for writing Rumors. The connection between his work and his life are intriguing: at this point in his life, Simon is going through another divorce and also the death of his son-in-law. Curiously, he chooses a farce as his next project.
The characters of this play, while seemingly out of touch with a middle class world, are very much in tune with a prescribed sense of loyalty. Perhaps out of selfish concerns, perhaps out of long-standing friendships, this group goes to great lengths to protect their reputations--great lengths. Cooking dinner for everyone impromptu, purchasing expensive glassware, making up outrageous stories to derail the police, even bloodshed and loss of hearing are not out of the question when it comes to protecting the reputation of their friends, Charley and Myra Brock: never mind that Charley is the deputy mayor of New York.
Interestingly, the characters at some point disavow any involvement with the rumors surrounding their good friends Charley and Myra, yet simultaneously jump at the chance to listen while others spread hearsay.
It may be wise to contemplate the darkness and light of the human condition through the lens of America’s most prolific comic playwright: “the theme [of the play is one] of rumors - how rumors can often come close to destroying friendships, even marital relationships. Because sometimes there is a basis to the rumors, and sometimes they're just twisted. I think we've all been victims of rumors, and they're very hurting.”
--Dr. Anna Filippo
--This production of Rumors is in memory of Joey Filippo
