Review: Lysistrata by Chaotic Theatre Company
by Michael Meigs
Lysistrata is a surprise in the compact canon of Greek drama. It's Aristophanes' clever satire of two usually unassociated aspects of manliness -- the male as warrior and the male as lover. Swordsmen in each case, although of quite different aspect.
There's a historical context of great seriousness to it involving wars between Greek city states in B.C. 413. That may partly explain why this text was awarded only third place in the theatrical competition that year. That background has dropped away in the 2500 years since that time, and Lysistrata stands -- erect -- on its own merciless mockery of the awkward aspects of human lust. Let's face it -- an aroused man is a bizarre sight, with his manly pride and attention concentrated in a yearning member, usually hidden. Nothing is more urgent for him that the business immediately at hand -- and if there were only some way to take him firmly near the short and curlies, one could lead him just about anywhere.
The Chaotic Theatre Company, established in 2009, has taken on familiar classics with the evident aim of giving them distinctive interpretations. Their Alice! was a psychotic adventure in the wonderland of an institute for the insane and their Midsummer Night's Dream was an effective although unadorned version of that familiar Shakespeare text, assisted by a guitar band.
Their Lysistrata is an intriguing two-speed interpretation. The thesis -- never really exploited or completely explained -- is that the events we are witnessing take place in some undefined future time. The company combines an anonymous but intact translation of Aristophanes' mocking, often ribald text with monologue commentaries delivered by individual actors. Jenny Lavery, Aja McMillan, Elexia Lowe and Donovan McCallum reflect on our culture's commercialisation of sexual themes, speak of uneasy feelings about sexual self images and seek to define manliness and womanliness. This additional material is credited in the program to them and to director Michael Floyd, whose program notes evoke the same themes.
The intercalated presentations have a sincerity that does not save them from the fact that they contain many more unresolved questions than answers. Aja McMillan's opening reflection does include a zinger, as she comments that sex and sexual images are used to sell almost everything -- ". . . even theatre tickets." That's a light but telling flick of the lash, considering that the slim program carries ads from Cindie's, the lingerie & sex toy merchant , as well as from Forbidden Fruit ("Keeping Austin kinky"). The first-person monologues do not significantly elucidate Aristophanes. Rather, they seem to imply that the actors are a bit uncomfortable about the Pan-fried antics of the antique Greeks.
Lysistrata of the title is an articulate woman who's thoroughly fed up with the continuing intercity wars that remove the men from their homes and deprive wives and sweethearts of their domestic life, lovers and loving. Hannah Gourgey in the title role is well spoken, decisive and convincing. Aristophanes sends her on with her friend Cleonice (Jenny Lavery) as a preliminary to a convocation of the women of the city. Lysistrata confides her intention to convince all the women -- both those of Athens and those of Sparta -- to institute a sex strike. No more intercourse until warring parties make peace! The comedy of the piece comes not only from the evident discomfort of unsatisfied men, carrying their tumescence before them, but also from the excuses and stratagems of various of the women who would promptly cross the picket line, if only Lysistrata would allow it.
Hannah Gourgey as the lead female and Andrew Black as agon, the magistrate seeking to fend off the strike, equal one another in energy, clarity and comic style. Gail Hebert lights up the stage as well, in the piney woods enthusiasm portraying the Spartan filly. Others in the cast are more tentative, less theatrical and not nearly as at ease in stage space.
Aristophanes' divided chorus of old men and old women is reduced to two and two (Ronis Alvarenga & Nicholas Kier, Elexia Lowe & Laura Toporcer) for mutual taunting and shoving. By choosing not to suggest the senescence and sexual incapacity of these characters, the director and company forgo some opportunities for comedy and indirect commentary. These choral scenes could use some more vigorous action both before and after the women drench the fires with which the men intend to burn the strikers out of the temple treasury. Often one has the impression that the actors are planted on their respective sides of the stage by direction, rather than by motivation. The women, in particular, are left standing in relatively advanced positions on stage with little to do as other dialogue goes forward.
The centerpiece of the comedy is the duo scene in which the comely young wife Myrrhine (Aja McMillan) is sent out to tempt her visibly swelling young husband Cinesias (Donovan McCallum). It's a charming tease of a scene, with the man virtually groveling for some loving, while his lovely wife keeps jumping up to fetch new items -- a mat, then a sheet, then a pillow, then some exotic oils. That scene is suggested with the coy panties-only photo of McMillan on the front of the program, and it's a winner.
There's no prurience in this comedy, despite frank talk about body parts and lust. At the closing, representatives of warring city states meet, navigating cautiously so as not to bump into their respective insatisfactions, and Lysistrata delivers a spirited call for Panhellenism and reconciliation (comically undercut by everyone's evident preoccupation for less ethereal intercourse).
Chaotic next takes the stage in December, and I'm looking forward to seeing how they mine and transform tales from the brothers Grimm.
Comments by webmaster, TheatreAustin, Yahoo groups, June 10
EXTRA
View program from Lysistrata by Chaotic Theatre Company
Lysistrata
by Aristophanes
Chaotic Theatre Company
