Thousands of years ago, Greek and Roman citizens gathered in open air amphitheaters hewn from hillsides to enjoy theater, wry comedies and weighty tragedies that extolled the gods and the virtues of their civilization.
Fast forward to modern day Wilton Manors, where citizens will enjoy a similar experience, Stephen Sondheim’s musical ode to ancient enlightenment, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” performed outdoors in Mickel Park.
The free show, produced by Plays of Wilton as POW! in the Park, will be presented Friday through Sunday evenings, March 7 – 16 at 7 p.m. The Warten Foundation provided major funding for the show, a first for the LGBTQ-centric theater company.
“It feels like a homecoming in a way,” said POW producer Ronnie Larsen. “My first show was outdoors, when I was 17. I had forgotten what it was like to put on a show outdoors. We only had six lights and no lighting cues!”
Modern theaters do have their advantages with sophisticated lighting and sound systems, curtains, wings, and other relative marvels that would have seemed magical to Sophocles, Aristophanes and Euripides.
“Theater is not a building,” emphasized Larsen. “It’s about storytelling and that’s never changed.”
And unlike other prominent outdoor theaters like the Delacorte in New York’s Central Park or the MUNY in St. Louis, Mickel Park offers few amenities:
The stage is a picnic pavilion. There are no lights and a sound system will be set up for each performance. A crew of dedicated volunteers will pop up tents each night for the cast to use as dressing rooms and the sets will be struck after each show because they can’t be secured during the day. POW will also provide 100 chairs on a first-come, first-served basis, but most audience members will enjoy the musical on blankets or their own seats.
Larsen relishes the opportunity to focus on the storytelling.
“It’s a good old-fashioned musical. The actors have to sell the material, there are no scene changes, they have to deliver. It’s a big park and there will be 300 people there every night. We can’t play to just the first few rows,” he said.
And for fans who know the show, there are plenty of surprises in store. Larsen received permission for gender blind casting, taking the opportunity to place unexpected actors into predictable roles.
Carbonell Award-winning actress Lorelene Snedeker will star as the protagonist Pseudolus, a clever slave who hopes to buy, win or steal freedom at any cost. Pseudolus sets a plan in motion to match her owner, Hero, with the fair slave girl Philia, while wreaking havoc against the rigid social classes.
The themes in Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbert’s book remain relevant, Larsen insists, given the state of current events in this country.
“It’s all about freedom during a time when we’re concerned about our civil rights,” he pointed out. “It’s nice when a script works. The show is full of racy sex jokes, but the primary message comes through loud and clear. Our job is not to make it work, but not to screw it up.”
“Some things will be out of our control,” he admitted. “It may have the feel of a concert with people eating and talking and getting up to go to the bathroom.”
As for the weather, Larsen joked, “That’s in the hands of the gods.”
Pow! in the Park presents “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” March 7 – 16 at 7 p.m. at Mickel Park, 2675 N.W. 7th Ave. in Wilton Manors. Tickets are free at RonnieLarsen.com.
This content is brought to you in partnership with Ronnie Larsen Presents and Plays of Wilton (POW!)
