With a strong ensemble performance, the cast of the department of theater and dance's fall musical production "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" proved that the department's rigorous program features a whole lot of promising talent.
A two-and-a-half hour comical romp through the Roman ages, "Forum" requires many in the cast to play a handful of characters in a short period of time. It was clear from their opening night performance that the cast's hard work paid off. The musical runs through Oct. 26 at the CFA Black Box Theater.
As the opening lights came up and Prologus/Pseudolus (Thomas P. DeTrinis) welcomed the audience with "Comedy Tonight," a prologue that foreshadows the evening of slapstick comedy, the cast of 20 soon started the show with a bang.
The story, set in the streets of Rome, revolves around the houses of Senex (Kevin P. Smith), Lycus (Adam Zelasko) and Erronius (Elliot Klienburd), whose designs look like something out of "Beetlejuice." Lit in red, blue, and yellow, the set created a tall and eerie environment. This simple yet effective design worked because it didn't take away from the acting and intricate costumes.
"A Funny Thing ... " is comical reenactments of Titus Maccius Plautus's surviving Roman plays. The sense of comedy that the cast displayed was refreshing and real, not overly sarcastic or mocking, as comedic knockoffs tend to be. Each actor possessed the right flair for the character they played, allowing for a believable and realistic show. The actions of the characters appeared completely natural, and not at all strenuous.
Psuedolus, a slave, drives the entire show with a gaggle of facial expressions and comedic timing, especially in songs like "Everybody Ought To Have A Maid" and "Pretty Little Picture." DeTrinis won the crowd over with her noteworthy performance.
Hysterium, (Brian Gabriel Butera), the head slave, was a crowd pleaser as well. As Pseudolus' sidekick, Hysterium's knee-slapping and teary-eyed bellows of laughter brings delight to the audience in all of his scenes.
Two love-at-first-sight youngsters, Hero (Robert Tucker) and Philia (Laura Dlug), try throughout the entire play to hook up with each other, but are torn apart by higher forces. Hero is the son of Senex and Philia is a courtesan promised to the commanding army general, Miles Gloriousus (Chris Critelli). Because of mistaken identity and one character in drag, their performances were sometimes confusing. While at some points they were suppose to be portraying a head-over-heels, day dreaming couple in love, they also gave off a timid and scared deer-in-headlights look. Nevertheless, Dlug's amazing singing overcame any shortcomings in her acting performance.
Senex and Domina (Erica Giglio), Hero's parents, were a hysterically paired duo. Giglio proved not only her acting ability but her amazing singing talents as well. Senex showed his singing talent in his duet with son Hero in the song "Impossible."
The cast worked together quite well in moments of suspense as well. In a scene between Gloriousus and Pseudolus, the general pulls on the slave, threatening to kill Psuedolus for presenting him with a fake Philia (Hysterium in diguise).
At the climax of the scene, facing death, Psuedolus exclaims, "Wait, wait, I have one thing left to say ... " the long pause leaving the audience in question of the next action. He broke the pause, " ... Intermission!" and the lights in the theatre went out.
Though a winning cast makes "Forum" a highly entertaining evening of slapstick, it is Detrinis' leading performance that proves a major asset to the ensemble. Nailing all of his scenes - which is nearly the entire show - Detrinis' Pseudolus appeared not rehearsed, but fresh and spontaneous.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
