THEATER REVIEW A FUNNY THING H

THEATER REVIEW A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Book by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim , Based on the plays of Plautus STOLEN SHAKESPEARE GUILD Directed by Stefanie Glenn Set Designer - Keith Glenn and Jason Morgan Music Director - Rebecca Lowrey Choreographer - Emily Antrainer CAST John Garcia - Pseudolus Gary Payne - Senex Lana K. Hoover - Domina Clay White - Hero Harry Liston - Erronius Ben Phillips - Hysterium Craig Moody - Miles Gloriosus Solomon Abah, Jr - Lycus Michelle Foard - Tintinabula Kristin DiFrancesco - Panacea Kate Rutledge - Vibrata Theresa Burton - one of The Geminae Erika Larsen - one of The Geminae Ashley H. White - Gymnasia Daron Cockerell - Philia Nathan Erwin - one of The Proteans Chris Hatcher - one of The Proteans Jared Johnson - one of The Proteans REVIEWED 6/11/2010 PERFORMANCE Reviewed by Mary Clark, Associate Theater Critic, THE COLUMN _________A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM_________ REVIEWED 6/11/2010 PERFORMANCE Reviewed by Mary Clark, Associate Theater Critic, THE COLUMN A funny thing happened on the way to writing this review – I discovered a lot about Romans and, more specifically, about Roman humor. I thought I'd learned all I needed to know from my high school English classes and university theatre history courses. I did know that Roman playwright Plautus wrote comedic plays, three of which (2200 years later) became the basis for the musical theatre classic, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Forum for short). Via my trusty internet search engine, I found out that the names Pseudolus and Miles Gloriosus (characters in Forum) were the titles of two of Plautus' plays. But it's the third play that made me take a double look. It's titled Mostellaria and I expected this to be a joke or a play on Zero Mostel's name but no, that's the real name of the play! So weird and another theatre trivia tidbit we can tuck away to amaze our friends. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, as a musical comedy, has a pretty simple, story line. Set in ancient Rome, there's plotting, love, mistaken identity, chases, and the happy ending, with puns, one-liners and plenty of asides. And there's one main character who master-minds and juggles all the antics to their predictable conclusion. Add the satirically humorous book by Larry Gelbart (who passed this year) and Burt Shevelove with an unusual turn to lighter, easier to hum music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim(who turned 80 this year – yes, I watched the Tonys) and it's a formula for a hit. Another trivia note – each actor who opened a production of Forum on Broadway won the Tony Award. Having Forum in a theatre season's line up is an almost certain seat filler akin to A Christmas Carol. It can all go terribly wrong, however, without a solid cast that first of all understands the vaudevillian style of comedy from whence this musical stemmed and second, has the talent to deliver the goods. The group known as Stolen Shakespeare Guild call themselves a producing theatre company without a home. For this production, they settled in at the lovely Fort Worth Community Arts Center , then squeezed this very broad musical comedy into a long, narrow, tiny space and delivered an all too short, very broad laugh out loud fun fest. Set Designers Keith Glenn and Jason Morgan can be commended for maneuvering three substantial Roman house fronts complete with balconies, rooftop and curtained doors onto the minuscule staging area with room for the actors to move between and around each. While nothing is innovative or extraordinary, the set was appropriate for all the mad cap chaos and rapid fire entrances and exits. There was no credited Costume or Lighting Designer which is just as well. Four grids of unfiltered lighting equipment was adequate to keep everyone lit and the costumes were the usual collection of tunics and togas, sandals and low-cut crop tops, lots of bangles and beads with comb forwards for the men and upswept dos for the ladies. I'd bet many of the actors brought items from home to round out the looks and everyone looked great. I put little emphasis on the designers because, for me, Forum would work on a bare stage if you cast actors, singers and dancers who could take this form of low brow humor and let it fly. The characters, comedy and jokes are the show and Stolen Shakespeare Guild got the jokes and we got the laughter and the fun. Many times, the audience was guffawing and rolling with laughter enough to break up two of the actors. Forum began with an interminably long overture which left the audience in the dim light with nothing to look at. The piano player, as the entire orchestra, was working hard and I kept wishing Director Stefanie Glenn had devised a little action onstage – characters walking by carrying bags or urns as if shopping, slaves doing light sweeping of house steps – something to watch in that dim light to set the tone. Once the show began, it started to become clear that this ensemble of eighteen seemed to be divided into good singers, good dancers and good comedic actors, with some falling into more than one category. Emily Antrainer nicely choreographed small solos for the six courtesans. Though they were mainly chorus roles, each actress brought out individual qualities and personae for their characters. I did want them to be more seductive, however and not just dancers. Ashley H. White needed to be more "athletically inclined", as her character's name is Gymnasia, and maybe a bit more "dexterous" with her crop. Music Director Rebecca Lowrey blended different levels of vocal quality into a tight singing ensemble. Several had small solos and good duets but three were exceptional. Gary Payne, as Senex, had a straight-forward voice and was obviously used to hitting the back row in bigger houses. For this performance he sang well past the back row (there's only five), past the lobby, the café and into the art galleries at the end of the building! To not overthrow his duet partner, Clay White as Hero, in "Impossible", he needed to rein in that magnificent power for us to enjoy them both all the more. Craig Moody also had a powerhouse operatic voice that perfectly suited his upright and uptight character, soldier Miles Gloriosus, and the held notes on the last bars of his solo, "Bring Me My Bride", were clear and pure. I do believe the audience fell in love with the beauty of Daron Cockerell's voice the moment she sang her first notes. As Philia, the sweet, not so bright courtesan in love with Hero, Cockerell's full soprano richness was simply enchanting. Her pitch was perfect, her quality sublime and, after hearing her once, each time she began to sing again, we knew we were in for more delight. She was a joy to listen to. There are some actors who are only funny because of the characters they portray or the words spoken. Then there are actors who are simply natural comedians who can make us laugh just be standing there and can make an audience roar by spouting even the corniest of lines. There were actors of this caliper in Forum and, amongst the generally high level of talent, they stood out in the best sense. I loved the comedy trio of Nathan Erwin, Chris Hatcher and Jared Johnson. The played many smaller roles – slaves, soldiers, eunuchs and were a vital support to the action and to the humor. Seldom does an actor get the opportunity to take down the house by merely walking across the stage and Harry Liston as the long (and slow) traveling old man, Erronius, grabbed the opportunity to steal the scene each time he came around . . . and around . . . and around. Both Lana K. Hoover and Gary Payne, as wife Domina to husband Senex, had the nagging/brow beaten act down pat – the Roman equivalent of Alice and Ralph in The Honeymooners. Reading his bio, I know Clay White had performed more serious roles, but as Hero, he was so silly and funny doing nothing but standing there with his short tunic and white legs. He made the sweetest yet goofiest inexperienced young man, singing "Love, I Hear" and I giggled each time he appeared. From the moment he stumbled out of the house, you knew Hysterium, as played by Ben Phillips, was aptly named and was going to be fun to watch. This large, teddy bear of an actor knew his body well and had wonderful physical schtick timing like the great vaudevillians. Facial expressions were heightened but not overtly – the front row was only ten or more feet from the actors. Phillips' song, "I'm Calm", was anything but. He got the gags and delivered them with aplomb. Phillips was the quintessential musical comedy actor. Then there was Pseudolus, our main slave, the guy who schemed the schemes, moved the plot and kept the antics coming. To describe him, the dictionary roughly defines pseud or pseudo as "a lie; a sham; one who pretends to be someone they are not". What a apt-named character as Pseudolus would try anything and become anyone to get what he most desired – his freedom. While I've seen many actors play him as "a wild and crazy guy", John Garcia portrayed Pseudolus as a thinking man's slave – more droll than drive, more cunning than crazy, more facial than physical. Garcia was the less is more kind of actor. He had a great, elastic face making all the eye rolls, pursed mouth and double takes even more exaggerated. Garcia had impeccable comedic timing with his quick asides to the audience, his light and easy movements and an impish quality that kept Pseudolus likeable through all his conniving tricks. In a theatre space that small, one can get away with the more subtle approach and still be funny but you have to be careful not to get too subtle and let the audience loss the joke. With so much going on, some broader strokes were needed. This is a note to all the actors but especially Garcia – some of the faces, some of the looks were thrown away and needed to be bigger. Not over the top, just more defined. When someone was as good and as funny as Garcia, you wanted to see and hear him even better. I also wanted to see Pseudolus' wheels turning as he instantly devised another lie, another story to get out of the last one he told. Several times there was no thought, only action, and the bits ran into each other making the audience laugh at the last one as the next laugh was being played. We were always a beat or two behind because it ran together without the extra beats. This was especially true as the actors sped through Act I but Garcia and all the actors warmed up and slowed down a bit in Act II. It was more prevalent with Pseudolus as his lines were the catalyst for the others. It would only require holding a beat for the audience to see his thought, his new scheme, to react with another beat and then move on. When there were so many great jokes, theatre insiders, and current one-liners (Squirrel!) – the audience needed just a second or two more to get the idea so we could laugh with the action, not behind it. It's a minor adjustment that would make all the difference. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum has always been a fun, silly romp of a musical, full of songs actually memorable enough to hum back to the car and even the next day. Stolen Shakespeare Guild has a solid production with some exceptional talent performing for way too short a run. The Fort Worth Community Arts Center is a lovely place with some extraordinary art presently being displayed. The indoor/outdoor café serves tasty food and drink and this combination makes for a great evening or afternoon to relax, soak up the arts and let you simply have fun. Upon exiting, I overheard the woman in the row ahead of me exclaim she "usually doesn't find things funny but couldn't remember when she last laughed out loud so much". I don't know why, but my heart soared and I was so proud that she felt comfortable and open enough to just laugh (and it's not even my show!). What better compliment needed and what better praise indeed. Reviewed by Mary Clark, Associate Theater Critic, THE COLUMN _________________________________________________________ A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum A Very Short Run through June 20th Stolen Shakespeare Guild at Fort Worth Community Arts Center 1300 Gendy St. Fort Worth, TX 76107 Performances are Friday and Saturday evening at 8 pm with a Saturday and Sunday matinee at 2 pm. Tickets are $15 evenings and $13 matinees for adults, $13 evenings and $12 matinees for seniors and students and $6 for children. For tickets and information call 1-866-811-4111 or go to stolenshakespeareguild.org