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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">‘Forum’
brings slapstick to Chardon<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">This
preview appeared in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I>3/5/10</SPAN><SPAN
style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“Old situations, new complications,
nothing portentous or polite.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Tragedy tomorrow,<BR>comedy tonight!”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">So begins <I>A Funny
Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum</I><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">, opening this evening at the Geauga
Theater, and no lyric better captures the essence of a play.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><FONT size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>Set in
ancient Rome, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Forum</I> </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">tells the tale of a conniving slave
named Pseudolus, who is owned by the young and innocent Hero.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Pseudolus </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>seeks
to win his freedom by offering to help his master win the heart of Philia,
</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">a beautiful courtesan in
the house of Marcus Lycus,</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN> who
the shy Hero adores from a distance </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">(the old situation).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Of course, the girl has already been
sold to the great warrior Miles Gloriosus (the new complication), who is coming
to claim his bride. Let the comedy begin.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>“This is an
absolutely hilarious play,” notes director Karen O’Baker Porter, “and it is
funny from start to finish.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is
one of those comedies that just does not let up for a
second.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Burt Shevelove
and Larry Gelbart’s script has all the makings of an elaborate burlesque skit—an
outrageous situation that leads to mayhem, broadly drawn characters, multiple
cases of mistaken identity, plenty of slapstick and brilliant one-liners, and
one of the best running gags to ever hit the stage.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Forum</I> boasts of delightful music and
lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, written back when Sondheim did not take himself
quite so seriously.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>This combination
of ingredients earned the musical’s original 1962 Broadway production several
Tony Awards, including Best Musical.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><FONT size=3><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">The original
version also included a significant dose of bawdiness, which this Geauga Lyric
Theater Guild production does without.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>“We are trying to keep this as family friendly as possible by allowing
all the script’s innuendo and double entendre to stay under the radar of young
audience members but still hit home for those old enough to appreciate it,”
suggests O’Baker Porter. </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>The huge cast is
comprised of GLTG regulars as well as some newcomers.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Pseudolus is being played by John Kolar,
with Patrick Fagan taking on the role of Hysterium, Pseudolus’ partner in
crime.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Young Hero is played by Chad
Duwe, with Civia Wiesner as his manipulative mother, Domina, and Jim Ray as his
browbeaten father, Senex.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><FONT size=3>Other featured
players include Meghan Strong as the object of Hero’s desire and Mike Franklin
as the immovable object in the way of Hero’s desire, the braggart warrior Miles
Gloriosus. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><FONT size=3><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Bob Fadeley
plays the running gag, </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>Senex's
elderly neighbor </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Erronius, </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>who has
spent the past twenty years searching for his two kidnapped children.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Frenzy and
frolic, strictly symbolic.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Something for everyone.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A
comedy tonight!”</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-ansi-language: EN"
lang=EN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Details<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">What:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I>A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum</I><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">.</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">When:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Tonight through March 28
(8pm Friday and Saturday, 2pm Sunday).</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Where:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Geauga Theater, 101 Water Street,
Chardon.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Tickets:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>$15 to $18.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Info:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>440-286-2255 or <A href=""><FONT
color=#0000ff>www.geuagatheater.org</FONT></A>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>