They say that tragedy plus time equals comedy, but A Lysistrata dares to ask what we get when we add comedy plus time. What we get is truly something different, fun, and relevant. With act2studioWORKS’ unique ethos of providing opportunities in theatre for artists fifty and over, A Lysistrata takes on entirely new meanings while staying true to the sexual and hilarious nature of the original text. This is a new version, written by members of the act2studioWORKS team, and directed by Nicole Wilson, and it really packs a punch!

Right away I was delighted by the eggplant and peach imagery that was used on the set; it brings the story into the present while alluding to the well-known sexual nature of the play. Alta Doyle and Nicole Wilson’s design is simple yet effective, and really allows the actors to shine. Edna Zuber and Nicole Wilson’s costume designs have the same effect, they helped contextualize the characters without detracting from their stellar performances. My favourite costume is the dominatrix style leather costume worn by Aristophanes; with her sitting out in the audience before the show dressed in that incredible outfit, we all knew exactly what we were in for.

A Lysistrata was able to simultaneously fulfill and defy my expectations going into the theatre. For those who may be unfamiliar, the original Lysistrata by Aristophanes is about a woman, Lysistrata, who gathers together the women of Greece and Sparta to try and stop the Peloponnesian war. They decide that the best way to do this is to go on a sex strike, and stop pleasuring their soldier husbands when they come home on leave. Hilarity ensues as the men grow more desperate (by the end visually so!) and the women eventually win the day as a peace treaty is signed. Traditionally, this play is performed with a cast of young actors, conveying the youth and virility of war, however the play takes on new meaning when the actors are all at or above the age of fifty. It was profound to see them being sexual on stage and taking pleasure in one another; it defies many nasty stereotypes which here are proven to be outdated. They play both asks us to laugh but to also take the ideas seriously, as there are several notions of feminism and agency couched amongst the “eggplant” jokes.

Annie Massey gives a stand-out performance as the aforementioned Aristophanes. She guides us through the action with wisdom and grace, and her comedic timing is top notch. Lydia Kiselyk also shines in the title role of Lysistrata, her ferocity and tenacity is fabulous throughout the performance. The Warrior Women: Jan Boase, Barbara Haber, Carolyn Tanner, and Marguerite Neri all give powerful performances; I hope I can be half that fierce and awesome when I’m their age. This incredible ensemble truly delivered exceptional performances, and I was delighted by the joy I could feel radiating from the stage.

Act2studioWORKS is doing phenomenal work and I look forward to seeing more of what they have to offer. To keep up with this incredible company, visit their website at: https://www.act2studio.ca