The University of Idaho Department of Theatre Arts is showing the musical comedy “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” tonight, Saturday and Sunday at Hartung Theater.
Philip Vukelich | Argonaut Erik Jansen, playing Senex, displays a bust of his wife during the Thursday showing of "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" in the Hartung Theater. The final two showings of the University of Idaho Department of Theatre Arts comedic production will be held at 7:30, May 4 and 5 in the Hartung Theater.
“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” was written by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart in 1962 with music by composer Stephen Sondheim.
Pseudolus is a crafty, lazy, cheating slave who discovered that his master’s son fell in love with the girl next door. Pseudolus promises the master’s son to exchange his freedom with the help of winning her heart. He creates a plan that is so extreme that, though they may not know it, the whole neighborhood plays a part.
David Lee-Painter, a UI theater professor, said the faculty decided on this play based on their shared love of its composer, Stephen Sondheim.
“It is fitting, it is silly, funny and everyone really likes the challenges that are presented,” he said. “It is such a complicated play in how it is put together, that everyone involved had to say yes at every turn. Everyone worked really hard to make it look easy — so far so good.”
Lee-Painter said he always strives to create a memory for and entertain the audience but he is also in it for the students involved.
Kristin Glaeser, a junior theater arts major, plays the role of Philia. She said Lee-Painter is wonderful and always promotes the notion of bringing everything to the table, leaving nothing behind and that everyone involved knows he how much he cares.
Glaeser said her favorite thing about her character is that she doesn’t often get to play a character that doesn’t know anything else about the world other than how to be pretty. She said it is a straight-forward role that requires Glaeser to make everyone like her while remaining ignorant of the chaos around her.
Glaeser said her favorite part about being in the show is how uplifting it is, the cast and how excited and willing they are to be there every night. Glaeser said she enjoys the opportunity to explore how different humans interact and then acting that out on stage.
“It gives people the chance to not be themselves,” she said. “They can escape into a comedy, sympathize with the character, or reflect on their own lives — it’s just fascinating.”
Emily Aizawa can be reached at[email protected]
More info
The last two showings of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” are at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday in the Hartung Theater. For even more information visit uitheatre.com or facebook.com/uitheatre.