A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
The Mark O'Donnell Theater at the Entertainment Community Fund Arts Center | 160 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
April 16, 2026 -May 10, 2026
From the moment you arrive, this production feels like stepping into a theatre family. David Fuller and Judith Jarosz set a welcoming tone that carries through an evening built on laughter, precision, and joy.
The Mark O’Donnell Theater offers an open playing space with a screen-lined back wall and minimal design: three platforms, a few set pieces, and a piano. It feels simple until the 14-member cast floods the stage and transforms it completely.
The show opens with flashes of current events before pivoting into its central promise: comedy tonight. What follows is not a modernization but a deconstruction, a reminder that even in chaos, comedy holds. Three houses define the world: the House of Senex, the House of Marcus Lycus, and the House of Erronius, each representing wildly different lives. Doors slam, identities blur, and the farce unfolds at a thrilling pace.
At the center is Pseudolus, played with commanding charm by Ben Schrager. He drives the plot as he schemes to unite Hero and Philia. Hero, played earnestly by Christian James Potterton, falls headlong for Philia, portrayed with delightfully vacant innocence by Rae Hillman, a courtesan from the House of Lycus and its lone virgin. As with any great farce, the plan spirals into mayhem.
Wonderfully staged by Fuller, the production uses the stage, aisles, and theatre entrances to expand the world. Michael Gnat’s Erronius, played with lovable doddering charm, becomes a running delight as he repeatedly journeys “around the hills.” Jarosz’s choreography leans into physical comedy with clarity and playfulness. Costumes by Robert Jay Pugh are simple and effective, while projections by Lily Isaacson add a cartoonish wit, especially the House of Marcus Lycus rendered as a stiletto heel. Josh Cleveland, whose work as musical director and onstage presence anchors the production with a lively, responsive pulse.
Jacob Keleman is lecherous and sharp as Senex, matched by Bebe Tabickman’s demanding Domina. Jordan Wolk brings a militant edge to Miles Gloriosus, both imposing and enticing. Robert Fischetti’s Hysterium is managerial yet magnificently frazzled, attempting order in a world that refuses it. Gillian Mackay Brown as Marcus Lycus enriches the role with a sly complexity, illuminating the delicate balance between charm and commerce. The Proteans, Ayanna Charity, Sofia Faus, Thomas Kelly, Ariella Mandel, and Anna Stanley, move with infectious energy, shifting seamlessly between roles and fueling the momentum of the piece.
This production ultimately delivers exactly what it promises. Anchored by the buoyant score of Stephen Sondheim, it offers a joyful escape that feels both necessary and earned. It is wildly funny, tightly executed, and a reminder of how good comedy can feel when it fully commits to the bit.
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Review by Malini Singh McDonald.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on May 2, 2026. All rights reserved.
