In fact, ‘Rumors’ full of laughs Ten Bucks effort a comedic triumph

Bring up the name Neil Simon around theater people, and you may see eyes roll. Like Stephen King, Simon is not considered high art. Also like King, Simon is one of the most successful writers of his genre in the world.

No matter which side of the Simon argument you take, chances are you will be won over by laughter at the Ten Bucks Theatre Company production of “Rumors,” running through Feb. 23 at Brewer Middle School. Simon’s nutty script may wear on you from time to time, but this is entertainment with a premium on getting your gut muscle flexing.

Even if you think Simon’s work is fluff, this is not easy theater to stage. It takes work to be funny without being flippant. It also takes patience and restraint. Luckily, one of the hallmarks of Ten Bucks is a canny sense of timing, that ability to be sharp, quick and thorough all at the same time. Last year’s “See How They Run,” a first-time directorial offering from Catherine LeClair, set a high comedic standard, and “Rumors” again underscores a rare and welcomed brightness.

Simon wrote “Rumors” in 1988 as an all-out farce. As with so many of his works, it opened in New York. But also as with so many of his works, “Rumors” is essentially a New York play. Set in an affluent New York suburb, the story takes place on the night of Charley and Myra’s 10th wedding anniversary party. They have invited four couples to join them, except Charley and Myra never appear on stage. Charley is in an upstairs bedroom shot through the earlobe with a bullet from his own gun, and Myra is missing – as are the butler and the cook. As each of the four couples shows up, they try to figure out and cover up what appears to be a suicide attempt or a crime of passion. Within five minutes, the convoluted ball starts rolling.

This could be a messy game of theater in the wrong hands, but the Ten Bucks acting troupe is made up primarily of muscular talent. The four leads – Tamela Glenn, Anthony Pizzuto, A.J. Fitzpatrick and Robert Libbey – start running for the goal post and don’t stop until they have scored the big points. They crackle and punch with such a scrupulous sense of repartee and wit, you get the feeling they are not impersonating the characters but that they have been drinking martinis together for years. Libbey, in particular, does a culminating monologue that is both breathless and bountiful. It’s a measure of his believability that it comes off like a riff rather than a riotous rant.

Julie Arnold Lisnet, as a kooky TV-show cook, belongs to that group, too, as does Charlie Alexander, who shows up late in the second half as a hardscrabble cop looking for answers – and a promotion for solving what may or may not be a crime.

The esprit de corps of this company, which also includes Allen Adams, Sarah Templeton and Peter Carriveau, is an indication of LeClair’s directorial finesse. Chez Cherry’s upscale set is a testament to the power of cleverness over capital. No one takes credit in the program for costume design, but suffice it to say that when dinner isn’t ready for the party, this nouveau riche crowd is too elegantly dressed to head to the nearest greasy spoon.

There are more complications and foils to the plot but going in without much information is probably ideal in a play with this many twists. It’s worth noting that a few of the scenes are choreographically virtuosic – and not just because one of them is a dance routine to “La Bamba” – and that the ribaldry of the players does not get out of hand even when it threatens to. Argue away about Neil Simon and his place in American theatrical letters, but give him a high-power cast and a meticulous director, and just try not to laugh.

Ten Bucks Theatre will present “Rumors” at 8 p.m. Feb. 21 and 22 and 2 p.m. Feb. 23 at Brewer Middle School, 8 Somerset St. in Brewer. For information call 884-1030.