When Rome comes to Houston Hall, it's 'A Funny Thing'

"Rome wasn't built in a day -- see it destroyed in a night!" That's how Wharton sophomore Tony Angeles gleefully summarized the Arts House production of Stephen Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which will open tonight in Houston Hall Auditorium. Described by College freshman Daniel Bisbee as "a rambunctious frolic with the kind of tunes you could hum all day," Forum is a zany musical set in ancient Rome that combines the tradition of vaudevillian performance with the classical comedies of the Roman playwright Plautus. "Rather than basing it on any one of Plautus' plays, the writers took good things from every one," explained Forum's director, College junior Adam Abraham. "As a result, it's very old in one sense and very fresh in another." The play follows the fortunes of Pseudolus, a wily slave who must unite his master with a beautiful courtesan in order to win his freedom. "It's a wacky madcap pratfalling comedy, but there's also a message in there about freedom," said College sophomore Gideon Evans, who plays the role of the slave. But Wharton junior Jason Cole, an actor in the play, wasn't so sure. "There's nothing hidden or deep about it," he said. "If there's social commentary in there, I haven't found it yet." Research assistant Cathy Katona, the play's musical director, agreed that the primary goal is to entertain. "We want the audience to sit back and laugh a little," she said. College sophomore James Waldrop, who designed Forum's elaborate set, said he wanted to create a set that reflected the wildness of the play. "I wanted to get a feel for the space of Rome, while making the audience aware that they're actually in a comic strip," he explained. As opening night approaches, the cast and crew is wrestling with numerous problems, not least the stifling heat of the Houston Hall Auditorium. "The lack of air-conditioning is one of the key problems," Cole admitted. "It got so bad last night that people were starting to feel faint backstage." But despite these teething troubles, College freshman Simone Elliott remained enthusiastic. "The show is full of absurd and wacky humor," she said. "Some of it will make you groan and some of it will make you pee in your pants." A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will play tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m., and tomorrow night at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $5 and are available on Locust Walk and at the door.

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