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Aristophanes's Lysistrata is categorically bawdy. It might even be termed,
under conservative classifications, as slightly pornographic. That such a
play, bursting at the seams with sexual entendre, rock hard with erotic
tension, and exploding with lewd dialogue, played at Brisbane's
prototypical conservative theatre space is miraculous in itself. The Arts
Theatre, as a rule, produces low budget family entertainment, usually
exhibiting some nicely stitched cossies, very often including a clanging
piano, but never offers much in the way of innovation or experimentation.
Small surprise then that this potentially confronting text is given a full
sugar coating to make it palatable to the average Arts Theatre subscriber.
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When Aristophanes wrote Lysistrata in 412 B.C., a war between Sparta and
Athens had been raging for over 20 years. The text is touted by Edith
Hall as "a product of a highly critical intelligence in a desperate
community at its darkest hour" (20). Indeed the comic elements of
Lysistrata underpin a dire situation -- the destructive nature of war and,
by extension perhaps, the destructive nature of patriarchy. Lysistrata, a
woman of considerable persuasive energy, convinces both the Spartan and
Athenian women to deny their partners sexual gratification until such a
time as they see sense, reconcile their infantile differences and thus
cease the catastrophic bloodshed between the warring factions. What
ensues is a farcical romp between a sisterhood who steadfastly refuse
sexual contact and a brotherhood made completely inept by their
overpowering but unsatisfied lust. Lysistrata takes matters into her own
hands and succeeds, with the help of her womenfolk, in quelling entire
armies of men by employing a very practical application of 'sex as a
weapon'.
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Lysistrata is one of those prized Greek texts which is ripe for feminist
interpretation. However, in this particular production sexual politics
play second fiddle to conservative theatre politics. What this production
lacks is risk. Director Sandra Hines notes, "perhaps we need a Lysistrata
today. Or perhaps we need more women to run international relations, more
women to positions of authority in the world". This admirable idea fails
to come to fruition in this production because none of the cast convince
us that this situation could ever happen. Instead of playing women
delighted by their sexual power and bursting with an eroticism so potent
that it ultimately knee-caps the warring men, these female characters act
more like frightened virginal sacrifices, completely terrified of their
own sexuality. An attempt to modernise this play sees the female chorus
decked out as roller-headed housewives -- a fair point, but unfortunately
this interpretation disguises a key issue: lust. It is almost as if this
production was trying to show a strip tease but through a blindfold. (The
climax of this safety-net approach was a pseudo-naked woman who was in
fact wearing a body stocking painted with breasts and pubic hair -- most
embarrassing.)
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Previous productions of Lysistrata have employed "conspicuously ersatz
bosoms and phalluses" (Hall 20), have been "amiable, noisy, lively,
healthily vulgar" (Strongin 23). Unfortunately, 'healthily vulgar' is a
concept that the Arts Theatre would term a contradiction. Instead of
being risky and (as I envisaged) looking like erotic Madonna
film-clippings served on a slimy bed of ecstasy and viagra, this
production looks like Benny Hill for beginners. Unfortunately, this
production of Lysistrata consistently approaches moments of transgression,
but fails to reach home base.
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Most of the male parts (!) are easily forgotten. None of them ever look
like they could even fight in a battle and to be truthful, I would be
withdrawing my sexual favours simply on grounds of lack of attraction
before any political pursuit! Walking around in the pain of tensions
unreleased, these men look like unfortunate clones of the Monty Python
handkerchief-hat men. As opposed to highly virile men ready to forsake
all their political differences with a warring other just for one chance
to lose their load with their lover, these men are drab, unattractive and
pathetically weak. This is quite probably how Lysistrata envisaged they
would end up, the only problem with this production is that they begin
weak and become pathetic.
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Renata Bowden's Lysistrata is an amicable character, strong in her
conviction and a constant source of enthusiasm for the project. However
it is Pam Byde as a sarcastic, tempestuous and downright fearless
Stratyllis who gives the evening's most memorable performance. As leader
of the chorus of women, her deliciously dry wit and hardened emotions
prove a highly amusingly contrast to the Leader of the (male) chorus,
Peter Settle. At constant loggerheads with one another, their realistic
relationship as an old, odd couple treated harshly by life and even
harsher by each other, strikes an instant chord of recognition with the
audience. Their cavorting and petty bickering maintains the kind of Basil
and Cybil Fawlty antagonism that makes comedies like this so effective.
As Hines notes "comedy has long been recognised as a very powerful tool by
which to make comment on society and on the characters in society", and
indeed this is true for Lysistrata. In this case though, the erotic
subtext of Lysistrata has been compromised for a safe comedy that doesn't
alienate too many of the Arts Theatre patrons.
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Details
Lysistrata, by Aristophanes.
Brisbane Arts Theatre.
Works Cited
Hall, Edith. "Wiggle and Pout." Rev. of Lysistrata by Aristophanes. The Times Literary Supplement 4708 (1993): 20.
Strongin, Theodore. "Hunter Workshop Does Lysistrata." Rev. of Lysistrata by Aristophanes. New York Times 15 Nov. 1968: 23.
Reviews of Other Productions of Lysistrata
Point Park College, Oakland
Contact Theatre, Manchester
East Carolina University
University of Cape Town
San Diego State University
Lysistrata Study Guide
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Citation reference for this article
MLA style:
Melissa Western. "To Risk Risque: Extra-Vulgar 'Lysistrata' at Ultra-Conservative Arts Theatre." M/C Reviews 6 July 1999.
[your date of access] <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/events/lysistrata.html>.
Chicago style:
Melissa Western, "To Risk Risque: Extra-Vulgar 'Lysistrata' at Ultra-Conservative Arts Theatre," M/C Reviews 6 July 1999,
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/events/lysistrata.html> ([your date of access]).
APA style:
Melissa Western. (1999) To risk risque: extra-vulgar 'Lysistrata' at ultra-conservative Arts Theatre. M/C Reviews 6 July 1999.
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/events/lysistrata.html> ([your date of access]).
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