This month, Aspen Community Theatre (ACT) will perform the farcical classic “Rumors” by Neil Simon at the Wheeler Opera House for the first leg (Nov. 13-16) before taking it to the Ute Theater in downtown Rifle (Nov. 21-13). This marks a return to non-musical theater for the company and comes on the heels of the organization’s 50th anniversary.
Director Wendy Tennis said discussions of extending the run and bringing the production to the Colorado River Valley began over the summer, when she and long-time ACT producer and actor Travis Lane McDiffett brainstormed how to make theater viewing — and acting — more accessible down valley.
“ACT always produces such quality work, and we thought this production should be shared. With only one weekend of performances at The Wheeler, more shows would [also] benefit actors and production staff,” said Tennis. “The Ute is an ideal venue and a great opportunity to extend the run. It was time for a change, and this has also opened up opportunities for actors who prefer a play to a musical.”
The cast for “Rumors” comes from Rifle all the way to Woody Creek, including: Hensley Gregg of Basalt (Chris Gorman), Gerald DeLisser of Basalt (Ken Gorman), Rebecca Horn of Glenwood Springs (Claire Ganz), Mircea Oprea of Aspen/Basalt (Lenny Ganz), Christopher Wheatley of Woody Creek (Ernie Cusack), Sheri Brinker of Glenwood Springs (Cookie Cusack), Scott Elmore of New Castle (Glenn Cooper), Cynthia Newby of Carbondale (Cassie Cooper), Michael Banks of Rifle (Officer Welch) and Katherine Ayala Arias of Glenwood Springs (Officer Pudgney).
“It’s been exciting to have a cast from Rifle to Aspen work together onstage. It’s a huge commitment with different rehearsal locations,” said Tennis. “Support from all communities has been overwhelming. We hope community members up and down the Valley will come and see the show.”
Her sentiments were echoed by McDiffett, who is thrilled for the actors, who he said all deserve to be on the stage, and for the audience members who may not have been able to catch the production had it been scheduled only at the Wheeler or the Black Box stage at Aspen Elementary School, as has typically been the case.
“We’re hoping that this comedy is appealing to audiences throughout the Valley, and that the crowds in Rifle and beyond who come to see the show will be receptive and excited to have something of this quality,” said McDiffett. “Not just the quality of the show because of who wrote it, but also just the performance level that these actors are putting out.”
Tennis and McDiffett also agreed that people need a good laugh. With “Rumors’” fast-paced timing and a plot line that makes heads spin, ACT hopes that audiences will be left with a feeling of joy after laughing through this production.
“There are a lot of challenges and darkness in the world right now, and we wanted something that was going to be nothing but laughs,” said McDiffett. “This whole farce that we’re putting on, it’s one calamity after another, and all of it done in a fast, rapid-fire presentation that we hope engages the audience and keeps them distracted from the troubles that might exist in their outside world, and leaves them at the end of the night with a smile.”