Slipstream delights with new take on ‘Lysistrata’
FERNDALE, Mich. — Can a play be both hilarious and thought-provoking at the same time? It can if it’s Slipstream’s version of Lysistrata, the 2,000-year-old Greek comedy by Aristophanes.
In honor of Pride month, the company offers a gay male take on the tale, which traditionally includes an all-female cast. This Lysistrata is a washed-up drag queen who has decided to take on the politicians. His goal is to bridge two groups within the gay community: the old bitter queens and the young Twinkies.
In the original, the title character aims to end the Peloponnesian War by persuading the women of Greece to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands and lovers as a means of forcing the men to negotiate peace. The idea of sex being used as currency is still relevant, and not just in the gay world, obviously.
The show is intended for mature audiences as it includes full frontal male nudity.
The cast includes artistic director Bailey Boudreau as the title character. Although the blue-haired Boudreau hardly fits the “old queen” demographic, he does a brilliant job of conveying Lysistrata’s passion and frustration in the high-energy role.
Technical director and founding company member Ryan Ernst is the councilman, whose mannerisms bear a passing resemblance to Bill Clinton’s.
Daniel Miller returns as Cinesias, the closeted assistant to the councilman.
Brenton Herwat joins the company for a third time as The Chorus (who is given the name Testaclese in this adaptation) and does a nice job of
conveying the storyline in a way that involves and engages the audience. Miles Bond and another founding company member, Steve Xander Carson, play the old(er) queens Caliente and Myrone, respectively, and very effectively convey the no-nonsense attitude of their characters. Artun Kircali played Myrone in the opening night show and did a fine job as the substitute.
Rounding out the cast are Maxim Vinogradov and Jackson Abohasira as Stratyllis and Limpito, aka the Twinkies. Abohasira does a great job conveying the self-centered character who has more than a touch of attitude. Vinogradov’s character, who is dressed in sporty slutware, is adorably daft.
The play is adapted and directed by associate artistic director Luna Alexander, with assistant direction by Victoria Rose Weatherspoon. Costumes are by Boudreau with the set and lighting design and execution by Ernst.
While the original play is notable for being an early exposé of sexual relations in a male-dominated society, the adaptation exposes the chasm between the young and the old in the gay community in much the same way. It leaves one wondering what is to be gained by such a division when obviously there’s power in unity.
The run is timely in coinciding with Pride month, when the LGBTQ community celebrates being authentic with an appreciation of those who came before with the goal of ending discrimination.