W. Aurora High to stage Neil Simon's 'Rumors'

Many of the best students at West Aurora High School seem to be the busiest students.

Just talk to a few of the Theatre Troupe 2013 student-actors at the rehearsal for this weekend's Neil Simon play "Rumors" and you'll find high schoolers who love the stage, music and student government and still manage to get good grades.

Assistant Director Kerry Proczko said that "Rumors" is a story of four couples who are invited to a dinner party. Before the party the host, who is a deputy mayor of New York, mysteriously shoots himself in his ear and he unsuccessfully tries to hide it from his guests.

Proczko said they added eight more roles to the play to give more opportunities for the actors on stage.

"I was pushing for a comedy after we had 'Sweeney Todd,' and even 'Miss Saigon,' weren't too cheery," Proczko said.

Many talented seniors are completing their West High acting careers this year both on stage and behind the curtain.

Senior actor Sam Buckley of Aurora plays deputy mayor Ken Gorman.

"My character is a mediator at the beginning of the play but he begins to lose his sanity along with his hearing as the play goes on," Buckley explained.

"It's one of the best roles I've had," he said of his high school acting career. "It's extremely enjoyable. It's the subtle laughs that I like the best. It's subtly hilarious."

Aurora senior Dylan Hayworth-Weste plays Lenny Ganz in the play.

"He's sort of sarcastic and he gets in a lot of trouble and he always has something to say," Dylan said. "It's a funny play and there's a lot of room to grow into the part. There's a lot of room for interpretation."

Hayworth-Weste has performed in plays at Riverfront Playhouse in Aurora and in "Cats," "Miss Saigon" and "Beauty and the Beast" and directed a play in the Winter One Acts at West High during his high school career.

Jazzlyn Luckett, 15, is the only sophomore in the 2007 Fall Play. She is playing Cookie Cusack.

"My character is sort of the mom in the play. She keeps everyone in line. Even though she is nervous she calms everyone down," Luckett said.

Luckett said that she started speaking in public when she was 2 years old and her mother had her speak to a group about Black History month.

She's been on the stage ever since, including her part as an elf in her kindergarten Christmas play. She appeared in productions at Aurora Christian Academy and was Yente in "Fiddler on the Roof" in eighth grade at Jewel Middle School.

So far at West High, Luckett has appeared in "Touchtone for Murder" and she was one of only four freshmen in "Miss Saigon."

"It was fun. It was the first time I had to change costumes and dance and sing. It really kept us on our toes," she said.

Luckett also is sophomore vice president of her class, in the French Club, is a peer mediator and is on the principal's advisory committee.

She also manages to find the time to be in the marching band playing the bass clarinet. She said she also plays the piano, French horn and the guitar. Luckett divulged that she manages all these activities while earning straight A's on her report card.

The main couples in the play were dressed in tuxes and sequined ball gowns and faux furs, giving the two-story set a glamorous look.

Student directors Eric Brink, Katie Brouch and Lauren Michels were in charge of getting everyone fitted for the fancy clothes. They also designed the programs and promoted the play in the community.

Seniors Brouch and Brink have also acted in plays during their time at West High and each of them has played in the pit orchestra during productions.

If you go

What: A Neil Simon comedy, "Rumors"

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: West Aurora High School Auditorium, 1201 W. New York St., Aurora

Tickets: Call the school at (630)301-5600. Tickets are $8.