Pseudolus

The Prologue invites us to hear a play by Plautus, one in which “good things I bring upon the stage; for I think 'tis very just that to the good good things should be brought.” Pseudolus tells the story of a young Athenian man, the courtesan he loves, and his witty and wily slave Pseudolus. When young Calidorus learns that the girl next door, Phoenicium, has been sold to a distant general, he is devastated. Hoping to appease the young man (and get some money on the side), Pseudolus promises to help him win the girl. But first, they need to outwit Ballio, the pimp who only cares about money and has no interest in love. Throughout the afternoon, Pseudolus makes bets, tricks servants, and enlists the help of other slaves as crafty as he is to get the girl. Using metatheatrical techniques and hilarious stock characters, Pseudolus is one of the most produced of all ancient Roman comedies, and even inspired Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.