STEWARTVILLE — What's going on these day in Stewartville is a farce.
And Aaron Rocklyn couldn't be enjoying it more.
"It's been nonstop fun," said Rocklyn, who is directing the Stewartville Community Theater production of Neil Simon's comedy/farce "Rumors." The play will be presented this weekend.
"We haven't done a farce in several years and the frenetic pace takes some getting used to," Rocklyn said during a break from rehearsals. "There's really no down time. Nobody can relax at all. Simon said it was the hardest play for him to write because every line has to further the plot."
The plot involves an upper-crust dinner party. The host has, for some mysterious reason, shot himself in the ear lobe. Rumors, misconceptions, misinformation and an attempt to conceal the evening's proceedings make for a fast-paced story.
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"The pace is the biggest challenge," Rocklyn said. "The comic timing is a challenge for the actors."
The cast consists of five men and five women, which was one of the reasons Rocklyn selected the play.
"It has a nice gender balance," he said.
In addition, he said, "We hadn't done a farce in so long."
Stewartville Community Theater usually schedules a big musical for summer and a comedy in winter.
"A lot of people say 'Rumors' is Simon's funniest show," Rocklyn said. "We thought, 'If this is really the funniest play by the funniest playwright, then that's a perfect marriage.'"
It's also a perfect farce.
