In a time of unrest in the nation, MMC’s production of Lysistrata Jones reminds audiences not to give into apathy and to “Go! Go! Fight! Fight!” and rally together.
The Theresa Lang Theatre saw four performances between March 14-16, and the show was directed by Theatre Arts professor Emily Clark. With a cast of 24 and four swings, the stage was filled with modern movement and costumes.
Lysistrata Jones is a 2011 musical comedy based on the ancient Greek play by Aristophanes, Lysistrata. The musical pulls from the original work, makes fun of it and creates a modern take to emphasize the power of community and teamwork, overcoming setbacks, and the dangers of fear.
“Everyone in the show is so talented. The content of the show grew on me, and I think that is very much due to each actor’s portrayal. With different intonations each character came together and creatively made the show what it was,” El Markee said. Markee is a first-year lighting design student who operated follow spotlight for the show.
“My favorite part about the tech process was watching the show come together. The first time I saw any part of it there was only one part of the set up, the stairs. Then the next time the walls were up and over the course of tech week, the walls were painted,” Markee said. “It was cool that I really got to watch it come together as a work in progress.”
The show’s plot follows a new student, Lysistrata, as she creates a cheerleading team and persuades them to withhold sexual favors from the basketball team, until they break their 33 year losing streak. Filled with witty one-liners and hip-hop moves the cast left audiences giggling.
With seven weeks of rehearsals and about three weeks of tech work that overlapped, the show was a combined effort of over 100 people. Lysistrata Jones was choreographed by adjunct faculty member Marc Nũnez and music directed by Theatre Arts professor Christine Riley.
“In reality, everyone has wants; everyone has something that they are fighting for,” Dramaturg Sam Tuschinski writes in her note.
The show celebrates young love through happiness and betrayal and highlights the importance of friendship. A unique combination of Greek mythology and pop culture, a heroine fights the war against indifference, drawing emotions in relation and reflection of the state of the world today.
“Lysistrata Jones reminds us that we cannot walk away from where we are; from who we are,” Tuschinski wrote. “Changing the world isn’t easy, but this show is a reminder that fighting is always worth the shot.”
