Lysistrata

Danielle Drakes Director	Jim Alexander Lighting Designer	Nadir Bey Set Designer
Hailey Glick Stage Manager	Sophie Harrington Asst. Stage Manager	Simon Marland Sound Designer
Elizabeth Rocha Costume Designer	Lorraine Slone Intimacy, Fight, Movement Director	Paige Stone Props Master

Cast

Erin Amlicke Lampito	Thomas Ian Campbell Cinesius	Trezure Coles Lysistrata	Michael Liebhauser Magistrate
Jamie Saunders Myrrhine	Tennah Sillah Calonice	Ray K. Soeun Herald

From the Director

With Lysistrata, Aristophanes challenges the concept of classical female sexuality by introducing a protagonist who takes the idea of sex as something that both parties desire, not simply as a means of reproduction and male pleasure. Strong central themes include war and peace, gender roles, sexuality and the battle of the sexes, rebellion, patriotism, and the political power of comedy. Lysistrata uses sex as a weapon against the men and her plan is completely radical and it takes time to sway the other women into accepting it. 

Lysistrata has given many women throughout history feelings of purpose or power, and its influence can only grow from here as the rights of women continue to be a pressing issue in our world today. Her motivation is not only to end the war but to open up entirely new lines of communication between the sexes. When this play was originally performed, the women’s roles would have been performed by men, and this entirely changes the way we perceive women’s roles in the work. For example, if Lysistrata is supposed to be a serious figure whose plan, though brash, is brilliant and even heroic, the delivery of a man planning a female sex strike could appear quite comedic to ancient audiences – which were also likely composed of only men. 

For us, this play takes place today and before. Gender play is the lens through which we create your experience of this story. We began thinking of ways of staging Lysistrata so that it was accessible to our audience but also faithful to the spirit of ancient Greek theater. In its disguise as a bawdy comedy oozing with innuendo, Lysistrata makes a revolutionary suggestion about the role of both sexes: that perhaps the sexes should talk to and even work with one another.