Matt's Reviews: Lysistrata at the Will Geer Theatricum in Topanga Canyon, LA


 

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This play was just stunningly bad. The main problem was its script, which was written by Ellen Geer. The acting was dismal as well.
  The play is based on the Greek tale of Lysistrata. In this ancient play, the women are protesting the Polypenesian War. They decide not to keep their husbands' homes clean, nor to have sex with them, nor to do anything else until the war is concluded. It's an interesting premise!
  Ellen Geer has updated this play, to protest the war in Iraq. But what comes out of her play is the shrill voice of her protesting everything from multinational corporations to U.S. military involvement in Vietnam, to the lack of U.S. military involvement in Rwanda. I mean, you can't protest everything, can you? Or, I guess you can. But where does it get you? Oh, I forgot the diet pills. She is protesting that, as well.
  After the first act, my dad said we had to leave. "I can't take it anymore. It's actually painful to watch," he commented. "This has no plot, no charactes. It's just a bunch of speeches."
  "This play has so many problems, I don't know where to start," my brother said. "First, the play begins with a bunch of children singing a pathethic peace song. Then we introduce the black lesbian, who has no brains, only brawn. Nice stereotype there. We then establish that the only power of women is not to have sex with the men. That's a nice commentary on American women. There's the homosexual guy, who is allowed to hang out with the women. That's pretty offensive, too. I mean, the whole play is just packed with pretty objectionable sterotypes."
  My mom was the only one who seemed to find the play vaguely tolerable. But even she had to conced that it was pretty bad.
  If you were anti-war before you saw this play, it might well change your mind! The only virtue that this play had was a song by Alan Blumenthal, who plays the politician. Explaining his views, he sings "Kill the Children". It sings about how the only way to solve problems is by killing the children in foreign countries. Very funny!
  "This play could work as a satire," said my brother. "Actually, I think I could rewrite it so it was pretty good."
  Finally, let me mention that this play takes place at the Will Geer Theatricum in Topanga Canyon. It's a wonderful setting, unlike any other theater. Make sure to visit- but only if they are putting on a Shakespeare play.
 
Lysistrata 2003, by Aristophanes * very freely adapted by Ellen Geer. Music by Tom Allard, Peter Alsop , Melora Marshall and Ellen Geer

This image shows the "foreign women". But you will quickly become aware that they are not really from the foreign countries, only putting on bad accents. This is LA, couldn't they find someone who was really from China? Would that have been so hard?