A Funny Thing Happened

on the Way to the Forum
 

Information Page
BACK TO MUNSTER THEATRE COMPANY BULLETIN PAGE

Show Dates
November 19, 20, 21, and 22 2009, 7pm (2pm on Nov 22)

                November 16-18 Tech Week/Final Dress Rehearsals
                November 18- Preview, parents may take flash pictures, video 4:30pm go-time
                November 19-21 - show call 5:30pm  showtime 7pm
                November 22 - Sunday Matinee call 12:30pm  showtime 2pm

         Forum
             CAST

                        (In the order of appearance)

Pseudolus, slave to Hero....………….. Jonathan Wachala

Senex, a mature man…….…………...… Chris Yothment

Domina, his wife….………….……..…… Alexa Johnson

Hysterium, their slave…...…………….. Clarke Remmers

Hero, Senex/Domina’s son ….……….……… Nick Estes

Marcus Lycus, a courtesan seller .........… Hunter Muckel

Philia, a virgin courtesan.……..….…. Hannah Kurowski

Erronius, an old man ….……………..…..... Ryan Pohrte

Miles Glorosius, a warrior …….….....… David Blumberg

The Courtesans:

Tintinabula ………..………………….. Jessica Banaszak

Panacea ……………………………….... London Borom

The Geminae ….......  Samantha Strimmel & Brenda Mintz

Vibrata ……………….……….………. Helena Jancosek

Gymnasia …………….………….…...…… Katie Taylor

Lustia ……………………...……………. Camile Burger

Cutius Pia ..….………………………...….. Erica Trisch

Senelia …………………….……………... Haley Conger

     The Proteans / Soldiers / Courtesans

 Samantha Adler               Lester Blumberg              Rachel Borgo                 

Brandon Goralczyk        DeJanette Kimbrough         Amina Khan                   

Carley Levin                    Allison Luchene                Michael Peters                

Tim Wittkamp

 Applications for:  Student Director –  TBA     Assistant Student Director – TBA     Production Assistants –  TBA
 

Choreographer – Jelana Grozdanich

 Thank-You to everyone who auditioned for Forum. 

 LAB, CLB, Woods

SYNOPSIS

Forum is styled as a very audience aware and interactive show. Set in about 200 BC in Rome, it is a farce; low comedy centered around three houses.   The House of Senex, where most of the action takes place and where Senex, his wife Domina, their son Hero, his Slave Pseudolus, and the Slave-in-Chief Hysterium all live.  The Story begins with Senex and Domina leaving on a trip, trusting the household to the slaves. The next house is that of Marcus Lycus, a seller of courtesans (female slave wives).  Hero falls in love with a virgin courtesan, Philia, who has been sold to a Roman Captain by Marcus Lycus.  Hero sends Pseudolus to get Philia and will free him if succeeds.  Pseudolus pretends to have his freedom and in the market to buy a wife from Marcus Lycus, cons him into believing Philia has the Plague, and he lets her stay Senex's house. Senex returns without his wife and finds Philia in the house. He is told she is the new maid, and prepares to “frolic” with her, but first decides to bathe in the vacant House of Erronius, who is gone searching for his lost twin children stolen in infancy. Erroninus also unexpectedly returns. Hearing noise from his house (Senex bathing), Pseduolus, pretending to be a Soothsayer, says evil spirits haunt his house and he must run seven times around the hills of Rome to rid his house of spirits.   Miles Gloriosus cones to claim his bride, Philia, and Pseudolus, posing as Lycus, tells the Miles the she has died.  Philia meantime has disappeared with Hero, so Pseudolus dresses Hysterium up as a girl to convince Miles that his bride is in fact dead. Also, Domina has returned home in disguise to check-up on Senex.  Hysterium is discovered as a fake and a slap-stick comedy chase occurs. The real Lycus appears with Philia, Pseudolus is about to be executed when he offers to take his own life, but drinks a love potion instead of poison.  Erronius returns and it is discovered that Philia and Miles are his long lost children; brother and sister! Hero and Philia can be together, Senex remains with Domina, Miles get the Twins and the soldiers get the girls. Marcus is arrested for selling freeborn citizens, Hysterium gets peace and calm, and Pseudolus gets his freedom in the finale.                                                                                                   

CAST
                                                (In the order of appearance)             (understudies)

Male

PSEUDOLUS – S Baritone: A-High G–Comic Lead –Hero’s slave always trying to buy his freedom is a loveable rogue who is sly and conniving

SENEX – S Baritone: B flat-G flat –50s+ – A wealthy  Roman who is hen-pecked by his wife, Domina, and is sort of a lovable “dirty old man”

HERO – S Tenor: B-G sharp –18 Romantic Lead-Senex/Domina’s son who falls in love with Philia, innocent in the ways of the world

HYSTERIUM –S Baritone: C- High G - Comic-Chief Slave to Senex/Domina, he goes hysterical when things go wrong, he likes order and peace

MILES GLOROSUIS – S Baritone: B-G sharp – Strong, boisterous Roman Captain (dumb bossy jock stereotype) –can be played against “type”

MARCUS LYCUS –s Baritone: B-G sharp - is the buyer & seller of women whose house is next to Senex’s – Typical “used car salesman” type

ERRONIUS –n – old – befuddled old man who has been in search of his children, stolen in infancy, lives next to Senex

 Female

DOMINA – S Mezzo-Soprano: B-High F Sharp – Domineering wife of Senex who runs everything in the house with an iron fist, has a hidden soft side

PHILIA – S Soprano: B-High G sharp – > 18 Romantic Lead – A virgin courtesan who is very naοve and gullible – she has been sold to Miles

Courtesans (all do a short solo dance that is symbolic with their origins and dress – they make-up the bulk of the female chorus)

TINTINABULA – Hindu/Middle Eastern “out of the East with the face of an idol, the arms of a willow tree, and the hips of a camel”

PANACEA – Nubia-Egyptian/Genie type “a face that holds a thousand promises, and a body which stands behind each promise

THE GEMINAE – Grecian (twins) may look alike (or not as a joke) “a perfectly matched set, each a divinely assembled woman,”

VIBRATA – Energetic/jazzy C-African “an exotic desert bloom, wondrous as a flamingo, lithe as a tigress, for the wild life”

GYMNASIA – Bump & Grind (can be played Tall buxom/sexy or Full-figured) “A giant stage on which a thousand drama can be played”  Pseudolus likes her

Additional Courtesans/Female chorus 3-4 of various types

 SOLDIERS (3-5) – M –Roman soldiers of Miles Glorosuis who are a bit slapstick (they make up the male chorus, two have lines)

PROTEANS (3) – M or F –Slapstick they have many roles during the show as additional soldiers, eunuchs, citizens, courtesans, etc

SONGS

Comedy Tonight – Pseudolus Baritone: A-High G & company

Love I Hear­ - Hero Tenor: B-G sharp

Free – Pseudolus & Hero

The House of Marcus Lycus – Marcus  (Pseudolus, Hero & Courtesans)

Lovely- Philia & Hero

Pretty Little Picture -  Pseudolus, Hero & Philia

Everybody Ought to have a Maid- Pseudolus & Senex

Maid Encore 1 - Pseudolus, Senex, Hysterium

Maid Encore 2 - Pseudolus, Senex, Hysterium, Marcus

I’m Calm - Hysterium

Impossible – Hero & Senex

Bring Me My Bride – Miles & Company

That Dirty Old Man - Dominea B-High F Sharp

That’ll Show Him – Philia (with Hero)

Funeral Sequence Miles, Pseudolus & Company

Finale (Comedy Tonight) – entire Company

Discography:

BACK TO MUNSTER THEATRE COMPANY BULLETIN PAGE