MovieChat Forums > A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) Discussion > Gymnasia in Stage Vs. Movie

Gymnasia in Stage Vs. Movie

posted 18 years ago by seankreynolds
11 replies | jump to latest

I recently got a gig playing Gymnasia in a regional theater, but I've never seen the stage show or the movie. I've heard that she's a mute in the movie but not on stage... Anybody know for sure? Thanks!

[–] pilcrow 18 years ago

You're right that she was played as a mute in the movie, but there is no reference to that in the stage script. If you have the script, however, you are aware that it is implied that she is a large woman ("...and a fair price by the pound"..."May I see you behind the gymnasium?")...and that can be handled in different ways. I've done the show three times, now. The first two productions, they cast a...how can I say it...a full-figured woman. The last production I was involved in, she was well-proportioned, but she was about 6 feet tall. I played Pseudolous in my last production, and when the line, "...fair price by the pound..." came up, it was usually met with an audience reaction that I interpreted as "oh...why did you say that? She's lovely...not fat!" And I hated that line. We also played her as a dominatrix...leather...whip...etc.

I love this show and I hope you have a good time with it.

[–] ontheloose143 18 years ago

I also saw Gymnasium played as a dominatrix. I wonder if I saw your production, pilcrow.... was it at VCU?

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jimenez-5 18 years ago

In the play Gymnasia actually has a line! "Don't you lower your voice to me!" she yells it at the eunich. In our production we played her as a voluptuous woman and therefore worth the price per pound due to her curves. Have fun playing her. She can be really fun.

[–] Owlzindabarn 18 years ago

I just saw it in Simi Valley, CA this past weekend. She was a larger woman but not fat-fat. She also played it as a dominatrix, with black go-go boots and a whip.

[–] stocky_is 18 years ago

We cut out that line "Dont you lower your voice to me" becuase the girl we got to play Gymnasia was incredibly good looking but not to bright. I play Pseudolous next week on stage. I cant wait, my songs are all down (every time I sing "free" i get a new appreciation for it.

[–] PhantomPhan222 18 years ago

Whenever I've seen it Gymnasia is a big woman, usually fat but sometimes just tall. Pseudelous has a great line in Act One where he's positioning the girls outside Senex's house and he says to each of them in turn "You there" until he gets to Gymnasia and goes "You there... Oh, there's so much of you there!" and puts his head on her bosom. Great moment.

Member of the Stop Heath Ledger Before He Gets His Talentless Mits On The Role Of the Joker Society

[–] robinflamingo 18 years ago

I've played Gymnasia twice. The first time, I was 22, and the second time I was in my late thirties. I've never seen her played as a dominatrix, because Vibrata is the one with the whip, and the natural for that costume. I have a large...um....bosom...and I'm almost 6 feet tall. I wish we could attach pictures...I loved my costumes both times.

"A giant stage on which a thousand dramas can be played..."

[–] stevenackerman69 16 years ago

Well, don't you have the script if you have the gig? In the movie she is a mute but she does have lines in the film, although not many.

[–] Elphaba528 16 years ago

I'm in a production of Forum now, and I'm cast as Gymnasia because I'm the tallest girl.(5'10" to be exact) Is she always dressed as a dominatrix? The director of my production probably won't do that because we're in a catholic high school (an all BOYS school... well, they boys will certainly enjoy that)

"As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll."

[–] NY Whovian 16 years ago

No, Gymnasia is *not* always dressed as a dominatrix. That decision is made by each production team. If you find a book on theater in the 1960's, or even the cd of the original cast album, you should be able to find a picture of the original cast actress. She wore something like a bikini with pom-poms on it, if I recall correctly.