Actors’ NET of Bucks County romps through Bert Shevelove’s Roman-inspired farce.
By: Stuart Duncan
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum really had its beginnings at Yale, where an undergraduate there, Bert Shevelove, used some of Plautus’ works (circa 200 B.C.) as the basis for a musical. Later, teamed with Larry Gelbart (with whom he had worked on TV), Shevelove went back to the Roman farces for material.
Instead of limiting themselves to a single comedy, the authors combined many of the works, grabbing a character from one, a situation from another. The plot that resulted might be slight, but it is so interwoven with intricate schemes that despite its patchwork inheritance, it emerges as a unified whole; the complications and subplots are ingeniously woven into a single fabric.
Actors’ NET of Bucks County is reviving the 1962 musical at its intimate theater on the banks of the Delaware in Morrisville, Pa. You would be wise to call for reservations fast.
The evening, naturally enough, depends on the comic abilities of the performers. The muse of humor can vary wildly, from verbal zingers to burlesque; the trick is to keep it in such proportions that audiences can ride the waves of pleasure without noticing the moments of raunch or even bad taste.
Steve Lobis, more recently seen in roles of serious angst (Kent in King Lear or the malcontent Geoffrey in The Lion In Winter), has a delicious time as the clever slave Pseudolus. He takes particular pleasure in playing verbal ping-pong with everyone on stage, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling and, in general, having sport with anything not nailed down.
Ed Patton has his best role in years as Senex, a Roman citizen with a nagging wife and a handsome but inexperienced son and the concerns that come with both. Theresa Forsyth Swartz plays Domina, the wife, with confidence and a super singing voice. Chuck Donnelly plays Hero, the son, and teamed with Cat Miller, plays the love interest (as if it mattered in this script).
Ryan Dethy has returned from a year at college in upstate New York to slip into the role of Hysterium, the household slave with a nervous twitch, and we once again realize just how versatile the young man is. Steve Decker handles the role of Miles Gloriosus, a great Roman Warrior, as if he wore armor to bed.
Joe Doyle has directed with a sure hand and an exciting pace. A five-piece band, led from the keyboard by Pat Masterson, seems just right for the tiny space, never overpowering the singers. In fact, they are so good, they deserve mention: Kevin Willois on flute, clarinet, saxophone and piccolo; Flora Newberry on trumpet; Bliss Michelson on bass; and Mike Shumila on percussion.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum continues at the Heritage Center, 635 N. Delmorr Ave., Morrisville, Pa., through June 29. Performances: Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 6 p.m. (June 22, 6 p.m.). Tickets cost $17. For information, call (215) 295-3694. On the Web: www.actorsnetbucks.org