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In the play "Lysistrata," women are able to use sex as a weapon in getting their men to stop fighting.
Performed this weekend by Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, this is a modern resurrection of a 2,500 year-old Greek play. In it, the women of Greece are fed up with their husbands, who are constantly at war. A woman named Lysistrata hatches the plan to withhold sex to get them to stop. The moral is simple: War is bad. It bankrupts nations and, most importantly, keeps fighting men from their loved ones.
The idea is interesting - a comical twist to an anti-war tale. But this production doesn't hit the mark with its humor. That's because generally, many of the actors recite their lines. They seem like they're acting the part and aren't believable.
The director, Catherine Zudak, thought the play, with its anti-war message, still had obvious relevance.
But the difficulty with this kind of material is that it tackles a theme that's quite overdone: the battle of the sexes. When the play was first written, a line like "War is for the men to take care of" might have resonated with the audience and incited budding feminists more than it does today.
There are few scene changes and extensive dialogue. This weighs down the pace of the play, despite its short (100-minute) length.
On the other hand, the sets, by Aimie Lockwood, are impressive, especially the huge Greek columns in the Acropolis that the women take over. A restaurant called Pan's Grotto has a bit of modern advertising etched on the outside in Greek-style writing, a cute, comic touch.
Tiffany Mitchenor, who plays Lysistrata, is another of the production's bright spots. Mitchenor is tall and slender, dressed in a sleek gray pantsuit. Her voice is deep, with a rich texture that beautifully conveys her strength. You can see why the women would want to follow her.
And the beginning of the second act features a very amusing interlude between Cinesias, played by Kevin Stacy, and his wife, Myrrhine, played by Emilie Litzell.
Stacy is hilarious in his portrayal of a man who is suffering from the lack of his wife's affections. And, I can't go into details here, but let's just say there are obvious physical manifestations of his longing.
Litzell is a convincing seductress who woos him only to ultimately run away. Her cleverness in using her sexual power over her husband to secure his pledge not to fight is fun to watch. (The scene also includes a young boy, playing the part of their son. Given the adult subject matter, his presence is questionable.)
I won't spoil the ending, but it's definitely a "happily ever after" affair, with everyone dancing and singing - in my opinion, a bit too over the top.
"Lysistrata" continues at 8 p.m. tonight-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Towsley Auditorium, at Washtenaw Community College, 4800 E. Huron River Drive. Tickets will be available 45 minutes prior to each performance, but they may also be purchased by calling (734) 971-2228 or by visiting the A2CT Web site at www.a2ct.org