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‘Lysistrata’ laughs with SCSU
 Media Credit: Adam Johnson Colin Markowitz and Kara Kelley embrace in the Greek sex comedy “Lysistrata,” playing on the PAC Center Stage through Sunday.
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What could be funnier than a dozen or so nearly-naked people running around on stage?
It would be a dozen or so men running around with two-foot mylar phalluses hanging, or rather sticking, out of their pants.
Who would do such a thing? It would be the Theatre, Film Studies and Dance department of SCSU in their presentation of the play “Lysistrata.” The play, which was a comedy written by Greek Aristophanes in 411 BC, runs through Sunday on the Performing Arts Center’s Center Stage.
This play is a ‘battle of the sexes’ parody of war. The play has been adapted from its ancient form and translated by Donald Sutherland to include modern language and terms in an effort to make it better understood by audiences. Director Brenda Wentworth chose this play for a couple reasons, one regarding the actions in Iraq.
“Brenda did it (this play) because it’s an anti-war play,” said Jenny Pugh, costume designer’s assistant and member of the old women chorus. “She’s not happy (about) the war with Iraq.”
The age-old conflict of men against women is parodied in the face of the serious issue of war. There are two very important issues waned against each other through man and woman: money vs. militarism. Instead of fighting states, Wentworth has a war between cities. The women are led by Lysistrata in the overthrow of the Parthenon in their quest to take over the power, which is money in means of making war. It is set in America in November 2003.
The women are sick of living single, without their husbands and lovers, and decide they want them back. Lysistrata conceives a plan to bring peace. So they decide to make their husbands pledge a truce. To make the men do such a thing, they withhold sex, agreeing to tease them but never give in.
“We must abstain utterly from the prick,” Lysistrata (played by Shireen Ghorbani) said to her women as they make their pledge.
“On that account, that peace that might come to be,” Kalonike said (played by Kashimana Ahua) in response.
What results is a comedy audiences won’t soon forget. There are plenty of sexual innuendos and risque language without being crude. However, this aspect did pose a very delicate issue for the publicity crew and the play itself.
“We were very concerned about the flyers when we distributed them,” said Josh Holly, who promotes for the theatre department. “We really wanted to capture the Greek nature of the play. It is a very provocative play. It is tough to emphasize the comedic side of the play.”
When Lysistrata isn’t keeping her women from sneaking out and holding them to their oaths, she is keeping the police commissioner from arresting the women and attempting to make peace among the old men in the town.
The choruses of old men and old women add an increased sense of resolution, as well as a sense of romance. The old men are represented by Vietnam veterans and the old women are the hippies and flower children who oppose the Vietnam War. While the disagreements swell between man and woman, these two groups battle their own causes. At one point, it is a festival of underwear and sock phalluses between the battling groups.
“I think it went really, really well,” Pugh said. “It was really nice to have the audience’s laughter.”
The show opened to a nearly full house Tuesday night. The reactions from the audience were filled with laughter, smiles and snickers. The play was a difficult one to advertise because of questions of whether or not people would be offended. There is a disclaimer outside of the theater warning of sexual language and content. No complaints have been issued so far, as the play is not for the easily offended.
“We push the envelope, but we haven’t had any negative responses,” Holly said. “They’re not objecting to us posting the flyers. You usually don’t think of a naked man as comedy.”
This play brings back some veteran actors and actresses, as well as some new faces. This group had a rather challenging issue while on stage. The men, who are being denied sex, are brought to a very obvious state of frustration. This is displayed through very large phalluses, which are large enough to poke Cinesias (played by Colin Markowitz) in the eye when he sits down.
The costumes are very representative of the characters. The women are stereotyped by Aristophanes as intelligent and resourceful beings apt to solving problems with patience and reason. They wear power suits and heels. The men are portrayed as soldiers or veterans who solve their problems with with violence as they wear military uniforms. The phalluses prove to be the greatest parody. The old men have droopy pieces while the young men are upright.
Creating these props took a considerable amount of creativity and research. The old men’s phalluses are slinkies covered with cloth and a bit of cotton in the end, sewn together. The young men’s consist of ethelfoam and styrofoam balls.
“They gave me it and said ‘figure it out,’” Pugh said. “Like the snake in the can.”
However, the idea for the erect phallus came from the Guthrie Theater when they performed this play.
“They got the idea from the Guthrie show,” Pugh said. “Originally, they were going to rent them, but they weren’t comedic enough, so we made them.”
The results of this ‘battle of the sexes’ cannot be described, it can only be observed. For audiences, it is a comedic ride that closely evaluates the consequences of war and how far people will go to find peace. The combination of extreme situations and language bring light to the fighting.
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