'A funny thing happened on the way to the forum'

Many people know how partial the Bloomington community is to the festivity of Greek life. IU’s Department of Theatre and Drama hopes it will be equally interested in the comedy of Roman life.\n“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” Stephen Sondheim’s acclaimed musical comedy, will be closing the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center’s 2007-08 season on April 11, 12 and 15 through 19.\nJoining the cast of Forum will be guest actor Darin De Paul from the Actors’ Equity Association. Freshman cast member Gina Ricci said De Paul’s Broadway experience has helped the younger actors to develop their comedic chops.\n“In the process of working with Darin, he’s taught us a lot about how to put the comedy not only in what we say, but in our bodies, and I think the physical comedy really works with our cast,” she said.\nRicci also elaborated on the broader importance of De Paul’s presence to the cast’s learning experience.\n“It’s a very unique experience having a professional in a learning environment,” she said. “I think we’ve all learned so much from him in the way he works.”\nHandling the choreography of “Forum” is professor George Pinney, an Emmy Award winner and head of musical theater for the Department of Theatre and Drama . For Pinney, the strength of “Forum” lies in Sondheim’s musical genius.\n“Sondheim’s lyrics are just terrific and very funny and witty, and for me that’s the absolute heart of it,” Pinney said.\nAlthough the musical was written more 40 years ago, Pinney thinks it is just as relevant today as it was then.\n“It’s based on Roman comedy, and human nature is human nature,” Pinney said. “We have not changed that much over the millennium.” \nScene design for the play is being directed by graduate student Tim Borden, who is using this production as his thesis. Borden said unique design challenges arose as a result of the play’s mixture of comedic nature and ancient backdrop.\n“It’s an unusual show in that we’re presenting to the audience at the beginning of the show that they are in a theater,” he said. “They’re being shown something that is very lighthearted, but we still have to provide enough so they can relate that ‘this is Rome.’”\nQuinto Ott, a senior cast member playing the role of Marcus Lycus, sees the value of the production in the cast’s ability to push the boundaries of comedy.\n“The show has a lot of really exaggerated characters that we can make some really extreme choices with. ... We really get to push to the edge of nearly being too much,” Ott said. “It’s been really fun to push ourselves to be as inventive and eccentric as possible.”\nAll performances of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” will take place in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre at the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, and $14 for students, seniors and anyone 30 or younger.