The Greek Comedy, Lysistrata, written by Aristophanes and adapted by Ranjit Bolt was performed by the Seton Hill University Theater Department from October first through the ninth. I am glad I got to witness this erotic yet historical Greek Comedy. A cast of male and female Greek characters were played by talented student actors in this ninety minute long play. There was a unique constant set that fit perfectly into the drama. The basic theme of the play was the empowerment of women over men to achieve peace in Greece.
Going into the play, I had no background as to what was going to happen on the stage. I assumed that Lysistrata would be a male character, because a stereotype that I have in plays is the presence of a strong male lead character. I was surprised to see that Lysistrata was a female character who takes on an enormous leadership role. The women of Greece come together to get their men to stop fighting. After much coercion, they agree to give up sexual intercourse until their husbands declare peace and return safely to their homes. The play portrays the power that women and sex have over men and their actions. It was empowering to see the women of Greece taking action and going after what they wanted, no matter what they had to give up.
A main piece of the set that caught my eye throughout the play was a mural of images where women are taking control and showing strong character. It reminded me of the feminist movement, when women wanted to get out of the home and enter the working class. The recurring theme of war and violence also goes along with this idea because during WWII women had to take jobs in the factories when their men went away to war.
Watching Lysistrata was a very comical and entertaining way to get a look into Greek history while expanding my cultural awareness. I liked how risque the script was because the writer was not afraid to go against cultural norms of the PG script.