Getty Villa Puts End to Tragic Era with its ‘Haunted House Party’

By ERIKA MARTIN | Reporter

After years of calamity and disaster, the Getty Villa is gearing up for a raucous “Haunted House Party.”

The museum has enlisted the Troubadour Theater Company for its annual outdoor classic theater production beginning Sept. 8. This year’s play, based on Plautus’ “Mostellaria,” will be a comedic romp incorporating music and acrobatics.

Ralph Flores, head of the center’s performing arts programming, said the play will offer some welcome levity in contrast to some of its other recent productions, such as “Prometheus Bound” and Euripides’ “Helen.”

“It’s been six years of tragedy,” Flores said with a smirk. “In this year, with so much mayhem that’s going on in the world, nothing could be more appropriate for us than to present another comedy.”

Plautus’ “Mostellaria,” or “The Haunted House,” follows a young man who begins leading an extravagant life of wine drinking and partying, encouraged by his slave, while is father is away on business. When the father returns sooner than expected, the slave Tranio executes intricate schemes to avoid retribution.

The Troubies—as members of the theatre company are affectionately known by fans—read five translations of the play to bring the comedy up to date and extract maximum impact for the humor.

The group brings together many influences, including Shakespeare and Moliere, to create a rich and poignant experience, the theater’s artistic director Matt Walker said.

“Steal from the best is something I heard a long time ago,” Walker said. “It really is sort of a cobbling together, as we imagine the Plaudian troupes would have done.”

Walker said the goal was to create a play that was sitcom-like in eliciting maximum laughs while employing a blend of theatrics and mayhem akin to Roman traveling comedy troupes.

The Troubadour Theater Company was formed in 1995 and performs frenetic and rollicking loose adaptions of classic plays, literature and film throughout Southern California.

The troupe has presented three comedies at the Getty Villa in the last seven years such as “Oedipus: The King, Mama!” in 2009, a parody of the Greek tragedy with the music of Elvis Presley, and “Abbamemnon,” which used the music of ABBA to tell the tale of one of the most dysfunctional ancient Greek families.

“Haunted House Party” will be performed Thursdays through Saturdays, Sept. 8 through Oct. 1, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 for Thursday night performances, $42 for Friday nights and $45 for Saturday nights. Tickets for previews Sept. 1 and 3 are $25.

Student and senior discounts available for Thursday night performances. Call 310-440-7300 or visit getty.edu/museum/programs/performances/outdoor_theater_16.html.