r As it celebrates its 70th year of producing theater in Springville, the Springville Playhouse will present a reprise of one of its most popular and beloved productions ever during the 2017 Art City Days celebration: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”
The show will be presented on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from June 2 to June 24 at Merit College Preparatory Academy, 1440 W. Center, Springville. The doors will open each evening at 7 p.m. and the shows will start at 7:30 p.m.
This hilarious, musical romp that tells the story of a slave, Pseudolus, and his attempt to win his freedom by helping his master’s son attract the attention of the girl next door, with whom the young man has fallen in love. The laughs continue as the plot thickens to include a jealous wife, a hysterical servant, an impressive military captain and a buyer and seller of beautiful women.
“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” was first produced at the Springville Playhouse in 1983. It was produced again in 1990, then again in 2001. Karl Young, of Springville, has played the lead role of Pseudolus in each of the prior Springville Playhouse productions and he will again take the part during this run of the show.
Other return performers include Robinne Booth, who is taking on the role of Domina for the second time, and Mark Boyack, who played Hero in a prior Springville Playhouse production and this time will play the role of Marcus Lycus. Dave Chapa and Bill Brown, two other Springville Playhouse favorites, will also be part of the “Forum” cast.
Karl’s wife Kathy Young is directing this production of “Forum.” This is the second time she has directed “Forum” for the playhouse and the fourth time she has served as dance director for the show. Karl and Kathy’s daughter Lesa Boyack (wife of Mark Boyack) and four of the Boyacks’ children will also be part of the cast.
Following is a complete list of cast members: Kathy Young, director/dance director; Brooklyn Eden, assistant director; Rachel Aylworth, music director; Ben Wake, Senex; Robinne Booth, Domina; Jordan Boyack, Hero; Larisa Spurlock, Philla; Dave Chapa, Hysterium; Karl Young, Pseudolus; Bill Brown, Erronius; Isaac Davidson, Miles Gloriosus; Mark Boyack, Marcus Lycus; Lesa Boyack, Tintinabula; Breeanna Leavitt, Panacea; Maddy Boyack and Sydney Boyack as the Geminae; Jenna Run Through, Vibrata; Nancy Benson, Gymnasia; and Zack Hjorth, Crystian Bunker and Karl Boyack as the Proteans.
The Springville Playhouse was originally organized in 1947 by a group of Springville citizens who wanted to produce and promote drama in their community. The playhouse is now the longest continuously operating community theater group in Utah. Its first show, “An Ideal Husband,” was presented in 1948, and the group has gone on to present some of the most popular titles in drama including “Our Town,” “You Can’t Take It With You,” “Anything Goes” and “Arsenic and Old Lace.” It was the first community theater in Utah to present the musicals “Into the Woods,” “Crazy for You” and “Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical.”
The playhouse has presented plays in several different locations over the years including the Springville Museum of Art, Springville High School, local churches and the lower level of the former Springville Civic Center. It now produces its shows at Merit Academy in Springville.
