By trillian
I enjoy a good dose of adolescent humor. Phalluses are funny. Sex is funny. Who doesn’t love bawdiness and over-the-top innuendo? Whoever they are, they certainly aren’t the people I hang out with.
Live Arts’ Lysistrata demonstrates that fewer cultures have embraced the joy of bawdiness as fully as the Greeks. Written by Aristophanes in 411 BC, the play is essentially a two-and-half hour blue-ball joke centered on the Peloponnesian war. Lysistrata, a Greek woman, gathers women from the warring states and convinces them to withhold sex from their men until those men stop killing each other. Until there’s a truce, nobody is getting any.
Larry Goldstein directs Live Arts’ production of this ancient text. Goldstein revives the Greek tradition of having all the men on stage wear prosthetic phalluses throughout the play (very large colorful fabric phalluses, we’re not taking realistic here). What was commonplace in Grecian theater shocked some of Friday’s audience. And while the constant presence of these fabric appendages provided for some quality guffawing, like most any joke, after two hours the novelty wanes. Luckily the end provides a new level of phallus humor that revives the laughter. The staging poses a problem, as a partially floor level stage isn’t very visible from the rear sections of the mainstage audience. I would suggest getting tickets early enough to be in the front rows or get a balcony seat if you want to see all the action (or lack thereof). Overall, the acting struck me as a bit too grand, much like when actors “play Shakespeare” so much you forget they’re playing real people. There are a few bright spots, though, actors who completely commit to the silliness of the play and light up the stage every time they are on it. Though the play itself is anti-war, this production focuses more on the innuendo than making a strong political or social statement. You probably won’t want to sit in a cafe (or The Cafe) and talk to your companions about it for hours. But if you’re looking for a fun night of bawdy, brassy humor - and a lot of phalluses - then check it out. If nothing else, it was comforting to walk out knowing that Aristophanes loved immature, adolescent humor as much as I do.
Lysistrata plays through March 1. www.livearts.org for tickets and more information.
[Credit: photos71]
Popularity: 20% [?]
You may think I’m nuts, but this sounds like a ball! *braces for the inevitable beating* Yes, I can be cocky at times. I love adolescent humor and from the description, I can be fairly certain that I will leave the show satisfied, and not feeling like I got the shaft.
The prosthetics and broad over-acting grew tiresome. But I stayed after intermission *largely* because one cast member was rather hot.
That seduction scene was hot.
I love the themes, but was disappointed.
Almost without exception I couldn’t hear/make-out anything the men (when they were in a group) said, or see them when they were on the lowest part of the stage. Also couldn’t see the seduction scene. I was about half way back on the lower level. And I’m not short…
I was over the stage “props” after the 1st 5 minutes.
Wow. Thanks for the review Trillian. I haven’t seen this show yet but I am going to see it just because I like to support Live Arts.
“very large colorful fabric phalluses, we’re not talking realistic here” — Are you speaking from experience???
40 Ounce: Who did you think was hot?
um, well, that’s not something i’ve ever seen in real life. are YOU speaking from experience, sil??
gimme a break her name is serene, don’t pretend like you didn’t know.
Serene Aandahl, and if you Google her (which I would never do, not that there’s anything wrong with it) you’ll learn that in college she “excelled in the study of ancient Greek theatre.” Clearly, that’s why she was cast in this production.
Serene was also Miss Canada (?)
Silmo,
Let me know when you are planning on going. I’d like to check this one out, too.
[…] 8PM @ Live Arts - Lysistrata. Read our review here. […]
[…] Trillian reviews Lysistrata [sex and bawdiness] […]
I thought it was an awful production. Caught the 2/17 matinee, and I couldn’t make out what anyone was doing, why they were doing it, or why I should care. There were, indeed, a few good actors — specifically the lovely miss aandahl, her lover, and the guy playing the Spartan herald — but they were wasted along with the expensive set and programs. And other actors just shouted/declaimed their lines. Painful.
It’s really a shame that Live Arts can spend so much on the building and all the trappings of theater, but judging from this one show, can’t find the resources to pay for good directors or actors.
The title character was well-played. That actor deserves full credit. (Wish I could remember her name.)
@13 - live arts doesn’t pay for directors or actors. it’s a non-profit community theater, so almost everyone involved in the production (designers, actors, directors, builders, costumers, etc.) is volunteer. as for spending so much on the building and all the trappings of theater, we don’t really spend that much. the building JUST got paid off. and for shows we scrape by, every show i’ve been involved in has had a budgetary challenge. and if you ever look at the quality of the 2×4s in the shop you’ll see that expense is definitely an issue.
i’m a volunteer, not an employee. i agree this was not live arts finest production, and i’ve told many people there and elsewhere my honest critical opinion, but our goal is to be a quality community theater and a non-profit, and that doesn’t include hiring actors and directors.
@14 - grace jordan plays lysistrata
Seems the director was going for some idea of authentic Greek staginess. Like Grace Jordan’s geometric arm gestures and the aforementioned foam foreskin propsicles. So it was interesting in that it was different. Actors/director/script/audience. Who knows. I was looking in the program for who actually translated the thing, but saw nothing.
Colfer - you hit on part of the problem. The director combined various translations which is why some parts seem conversational while others are in verse. VERY jarring. Also heard that the actors didn’t get the script till a few weeks before opening… eek
Def worst production I’ve seen at Live Arts. Total missed opportunity. But it should not be an indictment against the theater or volunteers. Sometimes good intentions just don’t pan out.
I’ll go back, just not to this show!
Hello all, on behalf of the Lysistrata cast I just wanted to say thank you for coming and seeing the show…and if you laughed out loud thank you even more! I very much appreciate reading your comments and wanted you to know that many of us tried our VERY best to make the show the best it could be…..but unfortunetaly, some things couldn’t be saved…kind of like Troy….but thats a whole other play.
Please don’t give up on Ancient Greek and Roman plays…..
Maple Leaf = Serene?
If so, what is Miss Universe Canada 2007 doing living in Charlottesville?
Also…you’re pretty and long-necked and hilarious and all…but could you get me the number of the thick girl with the gorgeous eyes and big smile? She’s more my style. Does she dig the dames? Is she down with the mocha swirl?
actually…if you keep Googling Serene, you find that she’s a wicked awesome human being as well as a beauty queen
If you were hangin’ with the villains last night, you’d have met her LaGrape.
If you were hanging at OXO one random Friday, you would have seen her walking around in a little plaid schoolgirl skirt.
and the skirt would still haunt your dreams
She really is very nice
which one would I have met? the beauty queen or the sexy one?
Ya’ll are hilarious….
Serene IS awesome and awesomely taken.
The thick girl with the beautiful eyes and big smile is named Gabrielle
Grace Jordan Sucked..
the script was difficult
the music was difficult
the costumes were difficult
I’m not sure they could have made it harder for us to do that play well….
Who wants to bet Haha = Grace Jordan?
Grace Jordan did a great job and I would bet my life is NOT haha.
Yes, Grace was very good, and so I, also, think that she’s haha. She’s just fetchingly modest.
actually, I hope it is Grace because it would be really awkward if someone else in the cast wrote that she sucked: “…for *us* to do that play well…”
Maybe they just needed Nathan Lane. Look at these credits:
“Frogs by Aristophanes, adapted by Burt Shevelove and Nathan Lane, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and directed by Susan Stroman
at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, Lincoln Center, New York,June 22–October 10, 2004″
But it was originally done in 1974 in the Yale swimming pool. With Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver and Christopher Durang!
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00EEDF123CF93AA35751C1A9679C8B63
You can see some video from the 2004 prod here:
http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Video.aspx?ci=501205
OMG! I can’t believe people are talking (talking bout people… who did a show!)
My friends told me about this site tonight over drinks - and I’m glad at least the play got people talking about theatre. Yes, it was not a good show (in many, MANY respects), however, I do think that it’s important that at least people are seeing theatre and talking about theatre. It gives hope that it is not a completely dead art form!
I hope at least people who came to see the show can see that the cast enjoyed themselves and was able to poke fun at themselves in an incredibly silly way.
Yes, I think we would have all liked to have done things differently, but that’s unfortunately not our jobs as actors, we are only there to realize an artistic vision for someone else and try to convey that vision in a verbal and nonverbal style of communication and hope that the audience can communicate with us.
Please go see more shows at Live Arts (and PlayOn and UVA…)! I was in “Streetcar…” and it was a fabulous experience! Not that “Lysistrata” wasn’t a good experience, it just was very different than expected.
Take care, y’all and keep talking!
art is… art. if the production makes you think outside of the norm then it has done a great justice to us all.
amen, brother!
“There are a few bright spots, though, actors who completely commit to the silliness of the play and light up the stage every time they are on it.”
So true! I thought the magistrate dude was really good. And the blonde (Serene), and her husband, and the leader of the women’s chorus, and the “thick girl with the beautiful eyes.” And then there was that cute little brunette that pretended to be pregnant…
Everybody’s favorite blonde–Serene Aandahl– is on the cover of C-Ville Sugar edition in her underwear!
You can find ‘Sugar’ inside this weeks C-Ville. This is even better than her in that scene in Lysistrata.