Roman Comedy VI: Plautus’s Casina, or Where’s Waldo?

It’s episode 100! But nothing exciting happening here. Instead it’s a really weird play. Not Plautus’s finest. And not one that aged well.

We see a similar plot in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, so for a little fun:

Discussion Prompts

1. How would you rewrite this play for a modern presentation?
2. If you were directing this play today, how would you handle it? Setting? Cast? Vision? Why?
3. Why do you think we never see either Casina nor Euthynicus?
4. How would you tell this story from the perspective of either of our missing characters?
5. AP Credit: The two matrons in this play are Myrrhina and Cleostrata. Discuss.