PLAY REVIEW 'Funny Thing' lives up to name

A crafty slave goes out on a limb to gain his freedom.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
If you are looking for entertainment that will give your brain cells a badly needed rest, then look no further: Salem Community Theatre has just the thing for you.
"A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" is now playing, and this one requires absolutely no gray matter to enjoy. No deep meaning to ponder here; this play is pure frolicking frivolity. The laughs range from giggles to guffaws, and there are many.
The story is about a Roman slave, Pseudolus, from the House of Senex who wants to be free. He makes a deal with his master, the young Hero, son of Senex, that he will get him the girl of his dreams, Philia, in exchange for freedom. Philia is a courtesan, brought in from Crete by Lycus, "a buyer and seller of flesh of beautiful women." The problem is, she has been sold to the arrogant soldier Miles Gloriosus.
Eric Kibler did a grand job as the conniving Pseudolus, who will stop at nothing to gain his freedom. His twisted and failed attempts to whisk Philia and Hero off on a ship get him into deeper and deeper hot water as the play progresses. Each failure calls for a more outrageous plan, and soon, Hysterium, Slave in Chief, finds himself unwittingly sucked into the plot.
Dave Bedell, as the hysterical Hysterium, played his part to the hilt. His solo "I'm Calm," was one of the funniest songs of the evening. Pseudolus discovers that Hysterium owns one of the largest collections of erotic pottery, and uses this tidbit to blackmail him for help.
Philia (Melanie Williams) and Hero (Joe Shipbaugh) are the ditzy, airheaded virgins who fall in love. The charming duet, "Lovely," showcased their singing skills, as Philia explained that she can't cook, sew, read or add, but her only talent is being lovely.
Girls of the house
One of the most hilarious features of this play were the other pleasure girls of the House of Lycus, each having their own "specialty." Costume mistress Carolyn Saunders went all out for this one -- just looking at them was a comic feast. Tintinabula (Amy Stilgenbauer), dressed in a skimpy red two-piece, jingled as she walked, with a huge cow-bell-like clanger hanging to her groin. Gymnasia (Shley Snider) wore high black platform boots, fishnet hose and a silver horned helmet, but her most memorable feature was a certain exaggeration of female body parts.
Senex (Tom Hathhorn) is nearly as flaky as his son, Hero. He can't get a word in edgewise around his overbearing wife Domina (Linda McKim). When she comes home unexpectedly, thinking Senex is up to something naughty, she gives one of the best musical performances of the show, as she sings "That Dirty Old Man," a kind of schizophrenic expression of love and anger, all the while beating up on Hysterium.
Although this musical may not challenge the audience, one probably can't imagine the work that must have gone into its preparation. It is rapid paced, with lots of dialogue, and numerous plots and subplots all going on at once. The music is typical of Sondheim -- very difficult to perform, and at times, almost distracting to listen to. One sensed that this posed the biggest struggle for the actors and the small instrumental ensemble, who was not even credited in the program. But all their hard work paid off. The audience heartily enjoyed this show.
It will continue Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 29 at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees Sunday and Oct. 30. (330) 332-9688.