The Lysistrata Blog

Since it hasn't been said on the blog (though many times face to face): great job this last weekend you guys. I don't think many of us have ever laughed that hard in the NWA theater.

Here's a little taste of what SBT's Andrew Hughes thought (full article link below):

For those who can handle and enjoy sexually explicit humor and language...New World’s "Lysistrata" should keep them laughing from beginning to finish and provide several pertinent points to consider while the United States continues its war in Iraq.

* Thanks Laura for sending this out.

Posted by Daniel Palmer at 2:37 PM | Permalink

I saw this quote on http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/:

Old woman to another: He had a beautiful, beautiful body, a handsome face, and a big old dick that would just kill ya!

It made me think of the show.

yay team!

Posted by Tara Hershberger at 10:47 PM | Permalink

Coming into the final weeks of performance, I have mixed feelings about how these weekends will go. I recently developed a bit of a cold, which really sucks, but it seems to be a reoccuring curse with me whenever I am coming into performance week. However, since I am playing a crotchity old man, my voice may actually be improved.

My biggest fear for these performances is that the public won't get it, and will leave with a). A confused offended feeling and b). a general contempt for New World and their choice to put this play on. When I talked with some of my friends about it, they seemed less than thrilled about some of the content. It is very odd that this is a comedy, but it is a comedy that gets under our skin and lets us know what we feel like we can laugh at - as well as what our limit is concerning our self-improvement in a very flawed society. If people walk away with something that was not intended, at least the play is still a good time piece.

Posted by Phil Stoesz at 2:58 PM | Permalink

1) The women might be having sex occasionally (when their husbands come home every few months), and this is what they are going to withhold. If a man hasn't gotten any for a long time, and is counting on finally getting it, withholding even once could be a very powerful tool.

2) Lysistrata says that the "deal" is big and hard. When she says "deal", does she mean the *problem* or the *solution*? The problem is war, and lack of penises. The solution is to withhold sex, also penisless.

Posted by Jeffrey Stuart Martin at 5:48 PM | Permalink

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make as much commentary (in dealing with my position) for this play as I'd originally hoped to, or to acknowledge the incredible talent that has whized by me at every rehearsal I've been able to attend.

I wanted to let the cast, as well as the rest of our incredible crew, know how great it's been to meet and work with you all, and how this experience will benefit me in the future (as incredibly sweet memories)...

I need a tissue...

You're all wonderful, and it's been my pleasure.

Tara E.

Posted by Tara Eary at 11:37 PM | Permalink

All very good questions Cassie. In regards to the women striking against something they're not getting anyway (e.g. sex) even though it appears they are getting it (e.g. Myrhinne), you've pointed out something in the play that thinking actors struggle with. It just doesn't make sense.

The whole premise of Lysistrata's sex strike is a "Happy Idea", meaning it was a well known element of Greek Humor. Thus, it didn't have to make sense. The very idea of women going on a sex strike and taking over the citadel would have been ridiculous to audiences of that day (as ridiculous as greeks fighting greeks was to Aristophanes) and therein would have lay the humor.

I think the important thing to remember when doing this piece of theatre is the style of the piece. Think more cartoon than documentary. I tend to be a thinking actress myself and found myself struggling with this different style in Lysistrata.

http://www.indiana.edu/~thtr/2002/lysistrata/happy_idea.html

Posted by Laura Gouin at 10:01 AM | Permalink

This new movie coming out "300" is visually stunning and tells the tale of the 300 Spartan warriors who held off thousands of Persian invaders and stopped them. Thought our Spartan warriors might want to take a look!

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/300/trailer2/large.html

Posted by Laura Gouin at 9:38 AM | Permalink

If anyone can shed some light on these things, that would be much appreciated!

1) At the beginning of the play (in "scene 2") when Lysistrata is talking to all the women, she makes it sound like they aren't getting any (i.e. fathers of their kids are off at war, lovers are gone too, can't buy dildos, etc.). So why does it make sense to withold sex if they aren't having sex in the first place? Or maybe they are having sex, since Myrrhine comes in late because she couldn't find her girdle and Calonice talks about doing "little favors" for their husbands. But then how is that consistent with what Lysistrata says?

2) In the first scene when Calonice asks if the deal for calling the women together is big and hard, Lysistrata makes it sound like it has nothing to do with sex/phalluses, but that's exactly what it has to do with. Is she just trying to take a more rational approach to the "problem"? Or maybe shes's trying to get the women out of some sort of stereotypical role in which women are only concerned with sex. Or perhaps she needs to point out that ending the war is more important than not having sex for a few days.

In thinking about these two points, it makes me wonder if I haven't been giving Lysistrata enough credit - I mean, I know that she has thought through this plan over and over again, but I think she has been grappling with the whole issue a lot more intensely than I realized: She has thought through every possible alternative solution, every possible way of approaching the women about this, every possible response or protest they could raise, and how to answer that. I wonder how long she has been having those sleepless nights!

Thoughts? Opinions? Contradictions? Feedback?

Posted by Cassie Greer at 8:14 AM | Permalink