(*) MOSTELLARIA (THE HAUNTED HOUSE) by Plautus, translated and adapted by Thomas E. Jenkins, Overtime Theatre

(Overtime Theatre Center, 1203 Camden Street, San Antonio, 78215 - click for map)

presents

Mostellaria (The Haunted House)

by Plautus
translated and adapted by Thomas E. Jenkins
directed by Kyle Gillette
September 20 - October 19, 2013
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Overtime Theatre, 1203 Camden Street, San Antonio - click for map

Hijinx and horror combine in this fresh adaptation of Plautus' Mostellaria (The Haunted House). Nominated for several Antonius awards in 190 BCE--including best Middle Republic comedy, and Most Promising Debut by an Umbrian Playwright--The Haunted House has received surprisingly few modern productions, probably owing to the death of Latin. But have no fear: Thomas E. Jenkins' moronic new translation precisely captures the idiocy of the original farce, which scrambles masters and slaves, prostitutes and poltergeists on a particularly hectic day in suburban Rome. So head over to the Overtime Theater to catch this local premiere of Plautus' gloriously goofy Mostellaria: it's the best little horror house in Texas.

"Ubertim flevi et copiose risi -- iterumque iterumque spectare volo! Hoc spectaculum melius Felibus est! Quattuor stellae!" -- Gaius Junius Marcellus, The Greater Tuscany Examiner

"Tragedy, then, is an imitation (mimesis) of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude. The Haunted House, by contrast, is complete garbage." -- Aristotle, Poetics 267E.

(Click to go to the AustinLiveTheatre front page)

Auditions in San Antonio for 'The Haunted House' by Plautus, Overtime Theatre, August 3, 2013

The Haunted House by Plautus, adapted by Tom Jenkins, Directed by Kyle Gillette; Auditions at the Overtime Theater Saturday, Aug 3: 12-3; Callbacks Sunday, Aug 4: 12-4 -- at 1203 Camden, Near the Pearl Brewery Complex, San Antonio, Texas, 78215 - click for map


The Haunted House is a joyous, goofy farce by the Roman comic playwright Plautus (some of whose works became the basis for the Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum). All of the traditional stock elements of Roman comedy are here: the crafty slave (Tranio), the crabby old Father (Cantankerus), the buxom prostitute (Viagra), the lovesick young-man (Gluteus Maximus), etc. 

(cover art: Halcyon Press via bn.com)

The plot is this: Father departs on a business trip, and his son immediately buys a prostitute and parties non-stop. When Father unexpectedly returns, Tranio, the crafty slave, hides everyone in the house--and convinces Father than the house is, in fact, haunted. But Tranio's deception spawns even more lies, and eventually embroils the entire city in his deception, including an unsuspecting neighbor, and an avaricious money-lender. The beauty of Plautus' play is that it combines the lowest of comedy--slapstick and puns!--with keen social commentary, including criticism of real-estate housing bubbles (still a problem) as well as the pretensions and stupidity of the powerful. 

Tom Jenkins' modern adaptation sets the play in San Antonio, and is jammed with zippy and hopefully offensive wordplay.

Cast of characters (Except for Tranio and Cantankerus, some parts may be doubled):

Tranio: A tricky slave, any age. (Originally written as male, could be female.)
Grumio: A country slave, any age. (Originally written as male, could also be female.)
Cantankerus: A crabby old master. (Somewhere between 40 and 110 years old. Closer to 110.)
Gluteus (Maximus): Cantankerus's 18-year-old dissolute son. (Has one song to sing.)
Simo: Cantankerus's married neighbor. (Must be male; between 35 and 99.)
Inebrius: Gluteus's best friend. (Male, Early 20\'s.)
Viagra: Gluteus's girlfriend, and ex-prostitute. (Female, 20s or 30s)
Scapha: Viagra's hair-dresser, and a slave. (Female, 40s or older.)
Avaricius: a greedy money-lender. (Written as male, could be female.)
Xena: a female slave and a floozy. (Written as female, could conceivably be a male. Mid 20\'s.)
Phaniscus: a Good Slave. (Written as male, could be female. Any age.) 

For More Information: 210-557-7562 or info@theovertimetheater.org