Girl Power in Georgetown with Synetic's Lysistrata
Can a prolonged state of blue balls save the world?
Aristophanes seemed to think so. In his Lysistrata, given a spunky treatment from Synetic Theater and Georgetown's theatrical program, a feisty female convinces her counterparts that their only recourse to stopping a war between Athens and Sparta is to withhold sex until peace is reached. Will the penis prove mightier than the sword? You get the idea.
The collaboration is directed by Georgetown's Derek Goldman, who has produced his own adaptation of the classic as well. Synetic's influence on matters is keenly felt in Irina Tsikurishvili's multiple sexily choreographed seduction scenes, as each woman brings her man to the brink before denying him ultimate satisfaction. It doesn't have the same kind of fully cohesive vision that a Synetic show tends to offer, but still has a fun, mischievous spirit to it.
Goldman's is a modernized, hardly literal translation, but its ribald, double-entendre-laden script is entirely in the spirit of Aristophanes' original. Throughout the play, for example, there's probably not a pseudonym for penis that isn't eventually exhausted. It's a bawdy style of humor that is often hilarious, but can only sustain itself for so long (and at about two hours with no intermission, there are definitely moments when it feels like they're pushing things).
It's at one of those moments when things are getting exhausting, and it's hard not to groan when you see two of the men approaching, strumming a guitar. But turns out we're in for one of the production's biggest highlights, a silly, over-the-top parody of "Desperado" that's completely sold by its two harmonizing deliverers.
It's thrilling and, yes, empowering to watch the choreographed battle scenes as the women make the best of a rather pathetic gathering of men. The emphasis the production makes on the physical triumph of the women, though, at times can feel incongruous with the play's anti-war stance and primary mode of peaceful (if devious) protest.
The troupe of women are led by Deidra LaWan Starnes, who gives a strong, often distant, but more empathetic than usual take on the title character. Performances here are knowingly exaggerated, with Zehra Fazal proving adept at physical comedy and Miranda Hall offering some of the most juicy deliveries of the salacious script. These ladies, many of them still students, don't just have girl power; there's star power here, too.
Lysistrata finished up its run at Georgetown's Gonda Theatre this weekend, and now moves to the Rosslyn Spectrum through April 26. Tickets are available online.