Laughter filled SJC Brooklyn’s Tuohy Hall Auditorium this past Thursday through Saturday as the Chapel Players Dramatic Society performed Neil Simon’s 1988 farcical play “Rumors.”
A two-act production about a dinner party gone wrong, “Rumors” is one of Simon’s most acclaimed comedies. The Chapel Players welcomed the break from doing a string of plays on the more serious side, including “Carrie,” “The Laramie Project” and “Godspell.”
From the Director
Nicole Martinez and Sudesh Sukhoo playing Chris and Ken Gorman.
“It’s a mix of both me and the students wanting to show the different sides that they have,” Chapel Players two-year director Adam Mace ’08 said, addressing the decision to perform “Rumors.” “Dr. (Martin Luther) King said you can’t have the light without the dark and vice versa, so it’s important that we show as a club that we can tackle all different subject matter. And honestly after doing three shows with serious subjects, it’s good to take some time and laugh. Especially in the times that we live in.”
Mace loves having the opportunity to direct young adults as they explore their various characters on stage and develop a love for the performing arts.
“I think that the main takeaway (of being the director) is that, when given the opportunity, young people can do many things. They’ve just got to be given the platform, the chance and the tools to succeed.”
From the Audience
The audience loved the chance to put aside everything serious for a moment and just enjoy the show.
“I’m without words,” SGA President Juanita Arias said after Thursday’s performance. “I cannot stop laughing!”
Vice President of SJC Brooklyn’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and basketball player Sean Salomons had a similar experience while watching the show. He came with a large group of student-athletes, all excited to support fellow SJC Bears Alec Willis (who played Glenn Cooper) and multi-sport star Lauren Quesada (who played Officer Welch), who will be next year’s president of SGA.
“I think it really brings everybody in the campus community together, and it really shows how diverse everyone at St. Joe’s is, as well as the kind of talent everyone has,” Salomonos said. “Overall, it was a fantastic show. Everyone was great — every single person. The atmosphere in here was awesome. The show was much more than anyone could imagine.”
From the Cast
Amanda Gillespie and Rigoberto Gomez playing Cookie and Ernie Cusack.
SAAC President Alec Willis — a senior and a decorated member of the basketball and volleyball teams, as well as a cancer survivor —noted that he enjoyed the parallels between stage and court.
“It was nothing like I expected, to say the least,” said Willis, following his first performance as a Chapel Player. “I came here with a mindset that it wasn’t going to be taken too seriously, and I was completely wrong. It took a lot of hours, a lot of hard work and a lot of commitment, but it was a great decision because I loved every second of it. I’m just anxious to be out there and ready to do it.”
SAAC is focusing on bridging the gap between student athletes and the rest of the school, and it’s a rare sight to see athletes on stage with Chapel Players.
“This year’s cast is phenomenal,” said SJC Brooklyn senior and Chapel Players President Amanda Gillespie, who played the role of Cookie Cusack and who took her final bow as a Chapel Player on Saturday. “We have so many new actors coming in, a lot of them being seniors, and this is their first time getting on a stage. Seeing their growth from the very first read-through of the show to now is amazing. It is beautiful to witness an actor really bloom and do so well and see them shine when they get on that stage.”
SJC Brooklyn junior Nicole Martinez — president of SJC’s multicultural organization Poder Latino and an executive board member of the Dance Club — starred as Chris Gorman, and she opened up about the new Chapel Players and their first-ever performance.
“They’ve been really good,” she said. “They’re told what to do, and they do it. They pay attention. They were always willing to learn, and they’re also very dedicated.”
