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Sunday, February 13, 2005
THEATER REVIEW: April Boyle
USM staging of 'Lysistrata' is bawdy but tasteful stuff
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USM's theater department has a knack of pushing the envelope with its plays. Whether off-the-wall or serious, they're always thought provoking. And they're always tastefully rendered, even when taste appears to be lacking. The latter certainly describes "Lysistrata." This rendition, directed by USM senior Ariel Francoeur, is by no means for the prudish. Nor is it one for young children. Rather, it's an updated version of Aristophanes' Greek comedy that takes bawdy to the extreme. "Lysistrata" is chalk-full of double-entendre and sexually explicit language. But it's the wardrobe department's clever use of household items that really raises eyebrows. This off-color farce is just far too much fun to spoil all its surprises. One relatively innocuous tell, however, lies in the cast. Ian Carlsen is Lysistrata, an Athenian woman who conspires to end the Peloponnesian War by denying sex to the men of Greece. Carlsen is clearly having fun with this one. His performance is delightfully over-the-top, complete with high-healed, black pumps and red lipstick. Friday's audience reveled in his antics as he haughtily strutted around the stage, tongue never far from cheek. Jill Koufman-Bradbury (Calonice), Mia Perron (Myrrhina), Michelle Sawyer (Lampito/Woman #3) and Michele Lee (Theban Woman/Police Woman/Woman #1/Peace) are hilariously cast as Lysistrata's sex-denying conspirators. And Travis Curran (Male Slave), Jae Rodriguez (Magistrate), John Sargent (Police Man/Woman #2/Spartan Herald) and Nick Cyr (Cinesias) are unforgettable as the men. Additional cast members include Jessica Savory as a female slave and Josieda Lord and Anthony Teixeira as the beautifully voiced, yet comical chorus. As fun as this production is, it wouldn't be USM if it didn't have a serious undertone. Disguised in the laughs is an apropos view of the often frivolous and corrupt nature of war. This production is bound to bring spice and its share of risqué laughs during its brief run at USM. April Boyle is a freelance writer from Casco.
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