Classic Greek comedy Lysistrata given new life

by Cara Smusiak, Queen's Journal (March 19, 2004)

Sex is great. Sex is mind-blowing. Sex is the best damned thing since sliced bread. Can you imagine what it would be like to deprive the world of sex? Can you even think of any reason why someone might want to?

Lysistrata is a classical comedy by Aristophanes, named after the protagonist who decides that the women of the opposing states in Greece must withhold sex from their husbands until the men reach an agreement to end the Peloponnesian War.

The production on its own is bound to be entertaining; when the Single Thread Theatre Company puts on the production it’s downright hilarious.

In the opening scene the women gathered at the request of Lysistrata at the Acropolis, and she told them of her plan to withhold sex from the men until they reached a peace agreement. At first, the women were skeptical, most outright refusing to give up sex, but eventually they saw the beauty of Lysistrata’s plan and pledged their allegiance.

They took over the Parthenon and thus effectively took charge of the finances of Athens—the temple housed the money for the state.

The rest of the play features “quickies,” visible erections, handcuffs, drunken advances, near-fistfights, and all the good old debauchery and hijinks one would expect of ancient Greece.

The third scene of the production in particular was every man’s fantasy. Women in skimpy pyjamas engaging in pillow fights and sensually sucking on lollipops enticed the men as Lysistrata urged them to reach an agreement. The men, predictably, were putty in her hands.

Although all of the actors were outstanding, there were a few in particular that stood out.

Interestingly enough, the Magistrate reminded me of Friends’ Matthew Perry. His facial expressions, tone of voice, body language and even his appearance were shockingly similar to the Hollywood actor.

Sasha Kovacs presented a wonderful portrayal of a headstrong little old lady. She could go from the sweet grandmotherly figure to an enraged woman in a split second.

Dave Messer’s portrayal of the bitter old man was brilliant. Hunched and shaking, he became an incredibly wonderful character that was extremely transparent, but also completely endearing.

Stephanie Ellerbeck as Lysistrata was the brains behind the operation. She ruled the women and the men with a cunning mind and a strict set of rules. Her commanding presence and serenity were evident in her speech and body language. She was a woman to be reckoned with.

But it was the performance of Kim McLeod that stole the show. Her portrayal of Kalonike, a woman who equally enjoys her men and her drink, was stellar. From her exaggerated struggle to accept giving up sex to her flirtatious exit, McLeod shone from beginning to end.

At any given moment she could be seen twirling her hair, chewing her gum, swinging her hips or scrunching her skirt; she was the quintessential ditz, but she was so sweet and comical she had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand.

The only cause for complaint with this production was the set design. Its simplicity was commendable, but it only loosely resembled the Parthenon. Columns are an essential element in any temple, but here they were replaced by wide spans of plywood in between openings.

The inclusion of a railing that was too low to have any functional purpose was really a poor decision. The railing could have been omitted had the steps spanned the entire temple front as they do with the Parthenon. By doing this, it would not only have made the set more historically correct, but it would have allowed for better access to the temple.

In addition, the marbleized paint technique was too dramatic for the relative closeness of the audience. With a bit more subtlety in choice of colour ranges, it could have looked much better.

In defense of the set designers, these modifications may have been in keeping with the modernized script, bringing the set closer to the look of a modern home with a front porch.

As a whole, the production was phenomenal. Funny, witty and intelligent, the wonderfully-adapted script was enhanced by the immensely talented actors that brought it to life.

But above all else, Lysistrata delivered the sexiness it promised and taught us that sex does indeed make the world go ‘round.

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