A Riotous Roman Romp in Need of Reins: Reston Community Players’ Forum
- The Beltway Blackbox
- Apr 27
- 4 min read
E. Hayes: Critic, The Beltway Blackbox
Hot Take
Reston Community Players’ production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a colorful, high-energy romp that occasionally loses its way in its own bedlam. While the evening is buoyed by some truly stellar individual vocal performances and top-tier technical craft, it suffers from a lack of directorial discipline. What should be a tightly wound clockwork of farce often feels like an "inmates running the asylum" free-for-all, resulting in a marathon runtime that tests the audience's endurance despite the fun being had on stage.
Comedy, Bedlam, and Standout Vocals
When the show leans into its musical strengths, it truly shines. Under the baton of James Maxted, the music direction was excellent, providing a lush foundation for a cast with some serious pipes. Alejandro Cahoon as Hero was a delight; possessing a tremendous voice and a characterization that was downright adorable, he captured the earnestness required to balance the show's cynicism. Matching him in charisma was Ryan Rigazzi as Hysterium. Rigazzi was a clear standout, delivering sharp character work and powerhouse singing that anchored every scene he was in.
The production also benefited greatly from the arrival of Cathy Gurson as Domina. Gurson commanded a tremendous stage presence and her comedic timing was excellent, providing some of the evening's most reliable laughs. Additionally, the stunning operatic vocals of Spencer J. Pilcher were a highlight. Every time Pilcher sang, the quality of the production leveled up; the performance was so impressive that one genuinely wished the score or the staging provided more opportunities to hear that caliber of voice.
Steve Cairns took on the gargantuan task of Pseudolus with plenty of energy. While he was a capable captain for the evening's madness, the performance was marred by a tendency to mumble the ends of lines and a habit of peppering the script with ad-libs. These additions, while occasionally funny, often felt like distractions that pulled focus from the ensemble’s rhythm.
Among the residents of the House of Lycus, the results were a bit more mixed. The role of the brothel owner Marcus Lycus was played delightfully by Susan Kronenberg. While she was a lot of fun in the part, the casting and lines did seem to contradict each other from time to time. While many of the courtesans seemed to struggle with the specific art of seduction required for their roles, Kendall Mostafavi was a standout as Vibrata. She was the only one who seemed to truly find the character within the world of the play; where others seemed to play up their brief stage time for cheap laughs or individual attention, Mostafavi remained committed to the specific persona of the character.
Technical Triumph
Visually, the production is a knockout. The set by Cathy Reider was excellent, providing a functional and vibrant Roman backdrop that utilized the CenterStage space beautifully. Eva Thorpe’s costumes were great, and the "fun and effective" hair and wig work by Ryan Kincade added the perfect touch of cartoonish flair. A special nod must go to Mary Jo Ford for the props; the sheer volume of wonderful items on stage suggested a Herculean effort in sourcing and crafting that did not go unnoticed by the audience.
The Blackbox Grit: A Farce Out of Focus
Despite the individual technical triumphs, the production struggled to find a unified comedic frequency. Farce is a genre of mathematical precision; it relies on the "art of the pause" and a tight, clockwork rhythm to make the absurdity land. While it is clear that Director Michael Barret Jones encouraged a high-spirited and joyful environment, the production could have benefited from a bit more structural restraint. Too often, the cast leaned into volume over timing, treating the "tool of screaming" as a catch-all for humor. This enthusiasm, while infectious, occasionally obscured the wit found in the silence between the beats.
A more hands-on directorial approach might have helped the ensemble find a more cohesive wavelength. The cast was clearly having a wonderful time, but at times they seemed to be operating in their own independent orbits, prioritizing individual comedic beats over the collective needs of the scene. One particularly jarring choice was the decision to portray the Proteans as the Marx Brothers. While the performers were funny in their own right, the concept felt a bit off-putting and period-inappropriate; it was a downright random stylistic departure that felt disconnected from the rest of the Roman world on stage.
These choices not only pulled focus from the cleverness of the book but also contributed significantly to the (what felt to be bloated) 2.5-hour runtime. Furthermore, the "sync" issues between the actors and the orchestra during musical numbers suggested that the energy on stage occasionally outpaced the pit. While the talent was clearly present in abundance, a bit more editorial focus would have forged that talent into a sharper ensemble.
The Verdict
There is a lot to love in Reston’s Forum: the singing is top-notch, the technical elements are professional-grade, and the individual talent is undeniable. But as the saying goes, "comedy is serious business," and this production needed more business-like precision. It is a show with wonderful ingredients that haven't quite been whisked into a cohesive batter. If you go for the gorgeous vocals of Cahoon, Rigazzi, and Pilcher and the impressive stagecraft, you’ll have a good time. Just be prepared for a long sit in the theater.
The Details
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is playing at the Reston Community Center’s CenterStage through May 9th. The performance on April 26, 2026, ran slightly over 2.5 hours including one 15 minute intermission. For tickets and more information, visit the Reston Community Players website.
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