The Conejo Players' "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," opens with two characters invoking the favor of the ancient Roman deities and appealing to Thespis, the Greek actor who created tragedy (and also the word thespian).

The dramatic gods did indeed smile upon this stylish, fast paced farce. There's no great message in this play-as the chorus sings, "morals tomorrow, comedy tonight"-just an entertaining, funny, musical romp.

The story takes place on a street in ancient Rome in front of the home of the henpecked Senex (Bob West), his aptly named wife, Domina (Celeste Russi), and their nave teenage son, Hero (Brent Ramirez) who's having his first infatuation with the "girl next door."

The girl, in fact, resides in a brothel run by Marcus Lycus (Ross Araujo).

She's Philia (Jennifer Cariker), a virgin purchased by the army captain, Miles Gloriosus (Raymond Hebel II), who feels the known world-or at least the affection of every female-revolves around him.

Philia is waiting for the captain's return, but that doesn't stop Hero from swooning over her. In fact, he's willing to grant freedom to his slave, Pseudolus (Sean Harrington), if he'll get the girl for him.

Thus begins the endless string of complications as Pseudolus schemes and cajoles for Philia. Just when the lovers get together, Senex unexpectedly returns early from a trip in the country and Miles Gloriosus arrives to claim the girl.

The cunning Pseudolus enlists another slave to help him, Hysterium (Mischa Pollack).

The action escalates into disguises, mistaken identities, chaos and a lively chase.

The play contains tunes penned by Stephen Sondheim, the composer usually associated with hard-to-sing, emotionally heavy ballads. Surprisingly, these songs are catchy and enjoyable. I found myself wanting to sing along on the choruses. A special delight was "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid," which begins as a duet and expands into a quartet as other actors join in.

The high spirited actors never let the energy slip. There's plenty of pratfalls and sight gags. Some of the funniest bits are with the captain's soldiers, who behave more like the Keystone Kops. The best seats are close to the stage to catch the nuances of the faces and gestures. Hats off to director Celeste Russi for keeping the action going.

The witty dialogue is full of corny jokes, especially the kind where one expects to hear a rimshot from the orchestra.

Harrington is especially notable in his role. One can also see the wheels spinning in his head as he schemes and tries to keep his balance as he dances from crisis to crisis. Pollack is hysterical as the slave who tackles every problem with unbridled panic.

Ramirez is a delight as the bashful young lover. Araujo aptly fleshes out his role as the scummy, yet likable, brothel keeper. West is especially funny when his grumpy old man character mistakenly takes a love potion and chases after Philia.

Bob Decker should be highlighted as an actor who can make a small role memorable. He plays Erronius, the old man who travels the country in search of his children who, years ago, were kidnapped-by pirates! In a literal running gag, Decker stumbles across the stage, says two words and exits to hilarity and applause.

Compliments to the choreographer, Alexis Miller. Each of Lycus' courtesans performs a different type of dance that reveals her personality as the men oogle on.

The elaborate costumes and the two-story set were visual delights and colorful eye candy.

One quibble I have is with the script, not the actors. Russi is off stage for most of the play. What a shame, as she indeed dominates the stage in her role as a shrew, and I would have liked to have seen more sparring between Domina and Senex.

I question the casting of Hebel, as he seems too young and perhaps not menacing enough for the role of a worldwise, arrogant army captain of many conquests, both of the military and the romantic type.

From where I sat, I occasionally spotted actors waiting in the

wings. Once in a while I lost some song lyrics as the orchestra played. The courtesan, Gymnasianeeded a whip that actually cracked when she snapped it.

For those tired of summer TV reruns or anyone looking for a pleasant night out, it's well worth taking a trip to this "Forum." The show continues Thursdays through Saturdays, with Sunday matineesthrough Sept. 23.

For tickets, call (805) 495-3715 or fax (805) 498-8065.