‘Rumors’ Turn to Fact; Globe Switches Simon Premieres, ‘Jake’s Women’ Put on Hold

Rumors about another switch in a promised Neil Simon play at the Old Globe this year have proven true, and the new Simon play on the schedule is . . . “Rumors.”

“Rumors,” Simon’s first full-on farce, replaces “Jake’s Women,” a new comedy that was slated for the theater’s summer season. “Jake’s Women,” in turn, replaced “A Foggy Day,” a musical featuring the songs of George and Ira Gershwin, which had been schedul e d for the spring.

A Globe official described “Rumors” as a farce about an unlikely series of incidents including love affairs, an errant gunshot, a temporary hearing disorder and a missing hostess--all at an anniversary party.

“Jake’s Women” was delayed because of scheduling problems with its cast and director, the Globe announced Friday.

Gene Saks, who received Tony Awards for his stagings of Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Biloxi Blues,” will direct “Rumors.”

A Globe news release quoted O’Brien as saying that “both ‘Rumors’ and ‘Jake’s Women’ are . . . being developed simultaneously; it was literally a coin toss to see which one would get done first.”

The show will run Sept. 22 through Oct. 30.