What: Lysistrata
Who: All Student Theater
When: Today and Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
Where: Brookings Quad, Beaumont Pavillion
How much: $5 in advance, $6 at the door

The SWA protesters aren’t the only ones pitching tents in the quad these days. Glance over at the stage, and you’re likely to see members of All Student Theater sporting their own, well, members. No need to be offended; it’s all a part of the group’s spring production, Greek comedian Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata.” The hilarious wartime sex romp has been underway since Wednesday, and this Friday and Saturday are your last opportunities to enjoy the show.

In Aristophanes’ original version, presented in 411 BC in Athens, the crafty and courageous title character devises an ingenious way to get the Athenians and Spartans to stop their perpetual warfare: a sex strike, with the women refusing the advances of their horny husbands. With the men properly sex starved and brandishing giant phalluses (hence the creative stage props), they are forced to try to reconcile their differences. It’s not as easy as it sounds, however, since the women turn out to be just as randy as their male counterparts.

Back in fifth century Greece, “Lysistrata” must have been truly shocking. After all, the Athenian statesman Pericles famously said that the proper honor for women was “to be least talked about by men, whether they are praising you or criticizing you.” By thrusting women into the forefront and putting their sexuality and power on display, Aristophanes was undoubtedly toying with social norms. But even today, with the advent of feminism, the play is still as funny and as pertinent as ever. The wartime setting, for example, will probably strike a chord with audience members. “A lot of associations will probably be made with the war in Iraq,” says director Aline Gray, “but I didn’t want to make that association. That’s why I set our version in 1916 France.”

Indeed, the setting is neither ancient Athens nor the present-day Middle East, but World War I-era France. The Athenians have become Frenchmen, the Spartans German soldiers. The costumes and accents reflect the new characterizations, but Gray says the script remains unchanged. “All the Greek names are still there,” she says. “And the dialogue is still much more conversational than poetic. I basically thought, what would people in 1916 do if they put on a production of ‘Lysistrata’?” And although, admittedly, “there was no such thing as feminism when Aristophanes wrote the play,” its central themes still ring true with a modern, feminist-friendly audience. “It’s true that now we have women do more than stay in the kitchen,” says Gray, “but I really liked the idea that one woman could change everything.”

Despite all its topical ideas, the “Lysistrata” remains, primarily, an uproarious time at the theater. Phallic jokes abound, and old ladies threaten to castrate shocked politicians. There’s also a particularly funny scene involving a flirtatious, teasing wife and her amorous husband, who just wants to get some action. Asked to sum up the play in three words, Gray responded that it was “Sexy, hilarious, relevant!” (It’s also worth mentioning that there’s a giant, penis-shaped fountain on the set.) So be sure to reward All Student Theater’s (ahem) hard work and come out to the quad, 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, for a mere five dollars in advance, or six at the door. “Everyone’s welcome to bring their blankets and picnic,” urges Gray. Dick jokes and high culture rarely go so hand in hand.

Popularity: 1% [?]

 Print This Post

This entry was posted on Friday, April 15th, 2005 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Cadenza. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.