Lysistrata Unbound

Reviewed by Deborah Klugman
Not Man Apart – Physical Theatre Ensemble,
Extended through August 4

Sinewy dance and visceral themes are among the hallmarks of Not Man Apart – Physical Theatre Ensemble, a company of performers that aims to bring dance and theater together and frequently succeeds in a brilliant way.

Their latest show, Lysistrata Unbound, an adaptation of Aristophanes classic by Eduardo Machado, directed and choreographed by John Farmanesh-Bocca, features both elements in ample supply. The production also boasts an exceptional sound design (a quality common to their work) by Adam Phelan and Farmanesh-Bocca, with complementary lighting by Bosco Flanagan. And, like such prior shows as Ajax in Iraq and Pericles Redux, it’s constructed around an intense anti-war sentiment that lends the on-stage proceedings inherent power.

This time, however, some prominent weaknesses in the spoken aspects of the play distract from its strengths, specifically, but not limited to, Brenda Strong as the title character leading a feminist revolt and Vito D’Ambrosio as her authoritarian male nemesis.

Co-produced with the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Machado’s dramatic and notably darker adaptation departs from the comic original. Here, Lysistrata is inspired not merely by a general antipathy for war but by the death of her son, a final blow after having already lost her father, brother and her husband. Machado also spotlights the social and sexual behavior patterns of the ancient Greeks: the class division between the respectably closeted wife and the freer but lower status prostitute, and — here most relevant — the homosexual relations between older seasoned warriors and younger acolytes. Lysistrata’s son, Achaikos, for example, had been mentored by the prominent military leader Adeimantus (D’Ambrosio), who inappropriately fell in love with his charge, a no-no outside the unbending dictates of the system (You can fuck ‘em, but don’t love ‘em.). In any case, after first reluctantly (albeit harshly) cutting Lysistrata some slack, Adeimantus is compelled by even higher authority, a Senator (Apollo Dukakis) to punish her; he orders her locked in a closet after she persuades a community of women to deny sex to their husbands unless the war is brought to an end.

This double-whammy theme — freedom for women and freedom of humanity from war, along with the bawdy, burlesque caricaturing of sexually deprived males (one of whom finally begins to see the light) and the absurdity of gender-proscribed rules — makes for a vehicle you want to enthuse about. It’s driven by a smart courageous female hero prepared to defy the system, whatever the cost.

But Strong doesn’t do the role justice. There’s a perpetual edge of self-consciousness to her martyrdom that keeps one at a distance. Both she and D’Ambrosio declaim a lot; they don’t provide their characters with enough salt-of-the-earth humanity to propel the play to a higher level.

By contrast, Sydney A. Mason as a tough experienced courtesan who approaches Lysistrata to offer her help, and Aaron Hendry as an enlightened soldier who finally decides he loves his wife more than he loves battle, bring vital truth to the story. And even with flaws, the production’s insight into gender, and the strength and grace of the choreography and its execution, keep it compelling.

Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m.; extended through August 4. 310-477-2055 or boxoffice@odysseytheatre.com. Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.