Category Archives: Roman Comedy

Remember everything I told you about Roman Comedy’s use of stock characters? Well, you can forget everything I told you about Roman Comedy’s use of stock characters. In Persa, Plautus breaks that form. Discussion Prompts If you were directing this play today, how would you handle any issues of orientalism? How does the daughter fitContinue reading “Roman Comedy VII: Plautus’s Persa, or What Just Happened?”

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 How would you rewrite this play for a modernContinue reading “Roman Comedy VI: Plautus’s Casina, or Where’s Waldo?”

This is Bacchis. And this is her sister Bacchis. Confused yet? Here are some clips from Bacchides that give you a sense of what it might have looked like when performed in Rome and how it can be made slightly more accessible when translated into English. Discussion Prompts What do you think happens in theContinue reading “Roman Comedy V: Plautus’s Bacchides, or Parent Trap”

We’ll talk about tragedy tomorrow and comedy tonight. Okay, we’ll really talk about tragedy next week and comedy today. Yes, this is the source for Sondheim’s Pseudolus, and if you already know A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, this play should have a familiar feel to you. I also found thisContinue reading “Roman Comedy IV: Plautus’s Pseudolus, or Is “Comedy Tonight” Stuck In Your Head, Too?”

You may know Miles Gloriosus as the braggart soldier in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. This play is the source material for that character. Discussion Prompts What other plays does this remind you of? Why? If you were directing this play, where/when would you set it? Why? Who would beContinue reading “Roman Comedy II: Plautus’s Miles Gloriosus, or That Soldier from Funny Thing… Forum’s Backstory”

Welcome to Roman Comedy! We don’t know much about Plautus, including the dates of many of his plays. Cistellaria, or the Casket Play, might be the oldest. Or it might not. But it’s as good of a place to start as any, so that’s where we’ll start. Discussion Prompts How would you update this playContinue reading “Roman Comedy I: Plautus’s Cistellaria, or Maybe Plautus’s Oldest Play?”