Racy play opens today

Today, a very unique twist on a very old play opens at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. It is Aristophanes' comedy "Lysistrata," an ancient Greek classic about Athenian women who refuse to sleep with their husbands until they stop fighting a war with the Spartans. The Theatre and Drama Department presents the play at 8 p.m. today, Saturday and Feb. 10 through 15. Tickets are $15 for general public and $13 for students and seniors. They are available at the IU Auditorium Box Office and by phone or online from Ticketmaster. \nIn this comedy, the Athenians are at war with the Spartans. Concerned with the well-being of their city, the Athenian women refuse to sleep with the men until the latter stop fighting. First produced in 411 B.C.E in protest against the Peloponnesian war, this battle of the sexes has been treated as a cornerstone of dramatic literature. The play runs as part of the 50th Anniversary series of Alfred Kinsey's "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female," as well as Arts Week 2003. \nAdapted by Ranjit Bolt, the play caught director Noah Tuleja's attention because the translation lends itself to the stage easier than a translation produced by a classisist. Tuleja, a third-year MFA student, confronted many challenges when the Department of Theatre and Drama asked him to direct "Lysistrata."\n"Perhaps the most challenging thing was finding a suitable translation," Tuleja said. "We finally found one that works. It may not be the most literal translation." \nOne of the most appealing features of the Bolt translation is its preservation of the rhyme that Aristophanes used in the work. \n"I think it commands the audience's attention better when it is in rhyme," Tuleja said.\nFight scenes, a large cast -- about 20 people -- and intricate choreography created several challenges for Tuleja. However, the task of choreography was made easier by drawing upon the actors' individual talents. \n"We wanted people who would be big and bold and not afraid to go over the top," Tuleja said. "After all, this is not realism, we wanted a cast and a chorus who could understand comedy."\nThe set opens up to fragments of Greek-style colorful buildings and columns intermingled with modern elements -- barbed wire, war-produced holes. The designers tried to lend an authentic feel while also creating a modern reality to complement the ancient architecture. \n"We didn't want this production to be an exactly like it's been done most of the time, with the colorless, rigid classical setting. It grows tiring that way," said Andrew Elliott, sound designer. "What we did instead was take elements of that period and abstract them a bit by adding some modern elements." \nWhat Elliott and his team did was much like what was done in the movie version of "Titus Andronicus" -- they used both classical and modern elements to create a surreal atmosphere with a modern, eclectic feel. The music includes jazz, blues, rock, and techno; the props are colorful, and the dialect is modern. Created by third-year MFA student and costume designer Amanda Bailey, the costumes resonate with this theme.\n"We took part of our basis from Greek clothing, but added some unusual materials in new and unexpected ways," Bailey said. "The play has been done many ways, so we decided to create our own world, not take an historical approach."\nBailey classified the general look of the costumes as "cheeky Greeky." She explained that the costumes needed to be sexy -- much of the women's wardrobe is based off lingerie design; the men wear phalli specially designed to fit their personality. The costumes in general are "peekaboo" types -- one can almost see the particulars but not quite. In all her costumes, Bailey has made the character's personality the most important determining factor in its design.\nThe costume design reveals one aspect of the play which cannot be ignored -- it has a strongly sexually-oriented plot. The production staff recommends the play for mature audiences.\n"It's very bawdy," Tuleja said.\nThe audience should expect revealing costumes, dildos used as props, and a striptease scene at the end. In spite of these overtly risqué features, nothing was done merely for shock value. \n"Nothing we've done was gratuitous," Elliott said. "It's not for shock value only." \nBailey affirms that the phalli worn by the male characters are actually referred to in the script. \nDespite its strong sexual nature, the play is not entirely about sex. \n"It is really a timeless message about the folly of war, which is appropriate in light of current events," Tuleja said. \nThe play explores the relationships between men and women and the effects of war on family life. Although it can be viewed as a sex farce, it has a meaningful message presented in a comic manner.\n"I'm really pleased to see what the cast has done and I'm excited to see what it will look like," Tuleja said. "It'll be fun."\nFor more information about "Lysistrata," visit www.indiana.edu/~thtr.