Cue the laughter as ‘Rumors’ returns to Lyric stage
Gene Deason / Special to the Bulletin
Laughter will ring out again this weekend as Brownwood’s Lyric Theatre presents Neil Simon’s “Rumors” in its second weekend of shows.
The cascading comedic situations and sight-gags have left audiences holding their sides during the first four performances last week, with one member of the audience offering perhaps the highest praise on social media. “My face hurt from laughter,” he wrote.
Since members of the audience are having a good time, they can only imagine how much fun it is for the cast and crew.
Dipping into the talent pool
New stars continue to emerge on Lyric Theatre’s stage
Gene Deason / Special to the Bulletin
Community theaters in cities the size of Brownwood frequently struggle to find the right people for the multiple roles needed for shows, but that’s apparently not the case for the Lyric Theatre.
The production company opened its second show of the 2021 season on Friday Neil Simon’s “Rumors” and of the 10 characters who appear on stage, six are either in their first or second plays at the Lyric.
The first-timers are Tommie Bailey, who plays Chris Gorman; and Domonique Stephens, who plays Officer Pudney. The second-timers are Lasha Dennis (Claire Ganz), Levi Packer (Lenny Ganz), Ryan McCormick (Ernie Cusack), and Jake Bowren (Officer Welch). Packer and McCormick also starred in the most recent Lyric production, “Clue,” in February.
Lyric Theatre presents Neil Simon s Rumors April 16-25 brownwoodnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from brownwoodnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Howard Payne University Department of Theatre recently hosted Darren McElroy, a 2011 theatre graduate, for a public interview with Dr. Nicholas Ewen ’02, associate professor of theatre. McElroy spoke about his experiences at HPU as a student and his work as a professional actor.
He currently performs with Sight & Sound Theatres in Branson, Missouri, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Following his graduation from HPU, McElroy performed in numerous productions in the Dallas area before being selected for the cast of Sight and Sound in 2018.
Pictured are Dr. Nicholas Ewen, associate professor of theatre; Darren McElroy, a 2011 HPU graduate and cast member of Sight & Sound Theatres; and Dr. Nancy Jo Humfeld, artistic director for the Lyric Performing Arts Company and professor emeritus of theatre at HPU.
HPU s Darren McElroy speaks to students about professional acting experiences brownwoodnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from brownwoodnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.