Civic revives Aristophanes' timeless antiwar comedy
'Lysistrata' opens at Towsley Thursday
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
BY JENN MCKEE
News Arts Writer
Can sexual warfare trump conventional warfare? You'll find out when the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre stages Aristophanes' "Lysistrata."
In the play, the men of various city-states in ancient Greece have waged war against each other for several years, depleting their government's treasuries and leaving their wives alone to manage difficult domestic affairs. But one woman, named Lysistrata, finally grows tired of the endless fighting. She arranges not only for a chorus of old women to seize the war chest at the Acropolis, but she also calls for the other women of Greece to enact a sexual boycott against their own husbands.
Many involved in the A2CT production have found Aristophanes' tale quite timely, despite being more than 2,000 years old. "It has a very important message that's still relevant to today, and especially with our situation - with the wars over in the Middle East, and the way that our government is posturing itself to be the world policeman - that certainly appealed to me," said Richard Casto, who plays the Magistrate. "And then, not having read it in such a long time, I forgot just how funny it is."
That humor, though, is one element that regularly provides a challenge for Tiffany Mitchenor, who plays the grounded, strong title role. "Being so serious at times has really been a challenge, because everybody else on stage will be laughing - they have their phallic props and all this stuff - and my character is the one to bring everybody together, so she's very serious at points," said Mitchenor.
As these comments suggest, Aristophanes' anti-war play liberally combines drama with comedy. "It has serious ideas while still being bawdy," said director Catherine Zudak. "It emphasizes that simply living needs the collaboration of everyone."
The play itself also commands the cooperation of its large cast, so Zudak incorporated trust-building exercises early in the rehearsal process. But as with any Greek play, the first step toward a successful production involved choosing the best translation for the circumstances. Zudak read several versions of "Lysistrata" before settling on Alan H. Sommerstein's translation, which has a contemporary sensibility. Nonetheless, some of the play's language still seemed puzzling, so the cast got help from an outside source.
"We had to have a Greek translator come in and help us with some of those words and really break it down, because some of the things - we were like, 'what is this?' " said Tiffany Mitchenor.
Such help got actors past the play's initial hurdles. "When you're dealing with language that is unfamiliar to you, even if it is in English, that can throw you a little bit," said Casto.
Visually, the production will echo the contemporary translation, as Zudak chose to set the play in the present.
"I think the decision was largely a function of the realities of community theater," she said. "Contemporary costumes for a cast this big are just cheaper and easier, but I think the setting also emphasizes the underlying theme: that even though this play was written 2,500 years ago, it's timeless, so the setting and costumes help to underscore that fact."
Some of the actors have taken the setting to the next level, modeling their characters on present-day politicos. "I really represent, and have modeled my appearance after, the president or some other political figure, so when people see us in this modern dress, I think it will be easier for them to go, 'oh, people are doing that or saying that to this day,"' said Casto. "The Magistrate represents a very traditional viewpoint - a man's man. He clearly is serious and very committed to his ideas."
Regarding this last statement, the same might be said of the playwright, whose social commentary seeps through the play's humor. "It really just makes people think about their actions in fighting, and why are they fighting - what's the purpose of it?" said Mitchenor. "It also shows, in a way, that women can have an upper hand in situations. But the main message is dealing with the war, and that it's silly and that there are other ways to solve problems."
Jenn McKee can be reached at (734) 994-6841 or jmckee@annarbornews.com.