SUNY Oneonta Students Produce "A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum" with Theatre Department

For its showcase production of the 2024-2025 academic year, the SUNY Oneonta Theatre Department presented the Tony Award-winning musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" with 24 students.

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is a fast-paced musical comedy set in ancient Rome, book written by American playwrights Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, music and lyrics written by American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Bursting with mistaken identities, slapstick humor and a cast of lovable misfits, the story follows Pseudolus, a clever slave determined to win his freedom through a series of outrageous schemes. As chaos unfolds with star-crossed lovers, a hapless captor and an eccentric Roman household, this classic farce delivers non-stop laughs. Perfect for fans of witty humor and timeless theater, it's a must-see for audiences of all ages.

"Along with being a really funny show, Forum is fun to perform in and has many challenges for designers, managers, directors, etc. It is also the first production in which Stephen Sondheim wrote both the music and the lyrics that made it to Broadway," said Professor of Theatre History, Dramatic Literature and Acting John McCaslin-Doyle. "In his early twenties, Sondheim wrote the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy. After Forum Sondheim would write the books and lyrics to productions like Anyone Can Whistle, Do I Hear a Waltz, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeny Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Passion, Assassins, The Frogs and more. Many of these productions have been revived in recent years and some are currently running on Broadway. Sondheim died in 2021 and it seems right to introduce his work to students and local audiences."

The performance, directed by McCaslin-Doyle, ran four times from April 23 to April 26 with help from the Mask and Hammer student theatre club. Faculty and staff made up the show's stage set and properties designer, lighting designer and technical director, costume shop manager and designer, sound designer and choreographer. The vocal director was a local professional and teaches at Hartwick College. SUNY Oneonta students made up the performance's cast, stage managers and crew.