S.T.A.G.E. Presents ‘Rumors’ This Weekend

By Alicia Pollard, staff reporter

Photo by Hannah Driscoll, staff photographer.                                                                                                                     The S.T.A.G.E. actors from the Neil Simon comedy "Rumors." From left to right

“Rumors,” the winter play with performances this weekend by students at Sturgis Charter Public School, will feature a number of technical improvements for the school’s theater program, which is known as S.T.A.G.E. (Sturgis Theater Arts Guild of Entertainers).

In “Rumors,” a comedy by Neil Simon, the action revolves around a gunshot in the home of a couple who is having their 10th wedding anniversary party. The first guests to arrive find their hostess missing and their host with a gunshot wound in his ear. The comedy mainly involves the awkward situation of the first guests trying to keep the rest of the party from finding out about the mystery, discovering what really happened, and keeping the situation from becoming a police investigation.

“Neil Simon writes really great comedies with really eccentric characters…it’s a good opportunity for the Sturgis actors to be creative in their characterization,” said Anna Botsford, the director for STAGE, who is a theater teacher at both Sturgis East and West campuses.

There will be three performances of “Rumors”: this Friday and Saturday at 7 PM and Sunday at 2 PM. The play will be performed at Cape Rep Theater on 299 Main Street in Brewster, a new venue for STAGE.

Ms. Botsford said another new feature is the technical design for the play because for the first time a professional set designer, Art Devine of Harwich (whose son Pado is a freshman at Sturgis East), will be working on a Sturgis play. Mr. Devine has worked on sets in New York City and has done a lot of work at the Cape Rep Theater, so is familiar with the materials there. He will be using some of the lighting left over from the recent production of “Avenue Q.”

Another change in STAGE’s technical section is its two new stage managers: Olivia Milstead of Bourne and Sara Prygocki of Cotuit, both sophomores.

Ms. Botsford seemed very pleased with her choices for the cast of “Rumors,” especially how the actors playing married couples have handled their roles. “Each couple has never really been friends before…[they’ve] embraced the challenge of being in a ‘romantic’ relationship…[and I am] impressed with their maturity,” she said.

The rest of the cast expressed positive feelings about working together. “It’s a wonderful cast—bubbly and energetic,” said Chris Knapp of Harwich, a senior who plays Lenny in the show.

Connor Antonellis of Mashpee, a sophomore playing Ernie Cusak, agreed that the cast is working together well.

This performance marks the end of an era of sorts for STAGE because it is Ms. Botsford’s last time directing at Sturgis East, as she is going to take over the STAGE program at Sturgis West, the school’s second campus, next year. Rachel Oilagnon, a new English and theater teacher at Sturgis East this year, will take over the STAGE program beginning with the spring play.

“It’s bittersweet…I don’t want it to end because this is the program I started five years ago, but I’m very excited that [the STAGE participants] will be able to work with Ms. Oilagnon next year…so even though I’m loving what I’m doing and excited for this play, it’s a good time to transition,” Ms. Botsford said.