Need a Laugh?

Westchase area residents hoping to enjoy a good laugh don’t have to drive far to make it so.

“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” is currently on stage at the Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road.

The musical is described as a “non-stop laugh-fest” in a media release from the center. It’s directed by Craig Hartfield and features a host of local actors.

Center spokeswoman Adrienne Hutelmyer says audiences are in for a treat courtesy of Hartfield.

“He is a wonderfully talented performer and director,” she said. “Craig's wife, Janine, and his children, Celeste and Anthony, have been working very hard on this show. Forum has truly been a family project for the Hartfields.”

The actors taking center stage, she added, are “amazing.”

“MAS Community Theatre is still a young and we are truly blessed to work with such talented people,” Hutlemyer said.

The play tells the tale of “Pseudolus, a crafty slave, struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan named Philia, for his young master Hero, in exchange for freedom,” the release said. “The plot twists and turns with cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors, and a showgirl or two.”

The cast is led by Jeff Roush as Pseudolus. While Roush is new to MAS Community Theatre, Hutlemyer says “audiences will remember him from some of his award-winning performances with the Carrollwood Players.”

Tickets range from $18 to $24. Show dates include:

• Saturday, July 13 at 8 p.m.
• Sunday, July 14 at 2 p.m.
• Friday, July 19 at 8 p.m.
• Saturday, July 20 at 8 p.m.
• Sunday, July 21 at 2 p.m.

For more information or to get tickets, visit the center online.

Have you checked out a production at the cultural center? What did you think? Tell us by commenting below!