Go for the $25.00 one.  You don't need to have Domina's actual bust represented in the sculpture.  In fact, the line is funnier if it isn't.  Everyone knows that a bust - in the statutory sense - is a representation of the head and shoulders of the subject.  It catches the audience by surprise (key word: surprise) when Domina says "and carry my bust with pride" - particularly if Senex does a bit of a double take when she says it.  The head alone is all that you need for the joke.

"Forum" is one of those shows ("Pirates of Penzance" is another) which has been ruined over the years with people going overboard on props, prop gags, and other inappropriate attempts at non sequitur humor.  I'm an old fogey who happens to have actually seen the original production back in the 1960's, and I'm here to tell you, it's a "verbal" show.  You don't need all the stupid sight gags.  Remember, this show was written by the guy who wrote MASH for TV.  Verbal Humor - there's nothing like it.

Richard Lester (straight off of "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" - excellent films in and of themselves) tragically destroyed the essence of "Forum" when he directed the movie.  Now, a generation or two later, people turn to the movie to emulate how the play should be done.  They shouldn't.  It's a disaster.

"Pirates of Penzance" has suffered a similar fate.  Joseph Papp's production back in the 1970's took a few updating liberties with the show - particularly with the casting of Rex Smith and Linda Ronstadt, and having a young and virile Pirate Captain in Kevin Kline.  But the show, in general, was amazingly true to the spirit of the original 1870's production.  (Watch the  available DVD of "Penzance" that was filmed when it was first performed in Central Park to see what I mean.)  The trouble is, succeeding people used the "updating" concept to tart up a great show with totally unnecessary props, gags and musical inconsistencies.  One or two, as in the Joseph Papp production, can be funny.  More than that is amateurish, sophomoric, and just plain deadly dull.

Sorry about the rant.  It's a pet peeve of mine.  But, to get back to the original point, you don't need an elaborate bust to get a spectacular laugh.  Please, take my word for it.  


Edited by edh915 - 1/30/11 at 1:21pm