Lysistrata, Emasculated

from the SUU Journal (all emphasis mine):

A modern-day adaptation of the Greek play Lysistrata is making its debut to the Adams Memorial Theatre tonight.

Christine Frezza, associate professor of theatre arts, director and adapter of Lysistrata, said she started on the adaptation last April.

"I was inspired by the state we live in," Frezza said. "Utah rightly promotes love, marriage and families, and I wanted to update Aristophanes to focus on those values."

Frezza said this play is about a war between the Spartans and the Athenians, that has been going on for centuries.

However, an even bigger war comes about between these two groups and all their wives.

Elisa Marcheschi, a sophomore secondary education major from Ogden, plays the protagonist Lysistrata.

"(Lysistrata) is a strong, intelligent and modern woman, whom the other women respect and follow as their leader," Marcheschi said. "Lysistrata starts the uprising because she is sick of the women being unappreciated and underestimated."

Joshua Cha, a sophomore theatre arts major from Wellington, said he is hoping for a great turnout and is excited to be able to perform. He plays a herald named Harold.

"This play is about men learning to treat women as their equals, not inferior, neither superior," Cha said. "I think this is a good story and I think the changes that Christine made with the script help younger audiences understand it."

Vince Major, a sophomore theatre arts major from Phoenix who plays Proteus, said this romantic comedy makes a great free date night.

"I hope people walk away from this show and they feel that they were entertained," Major said. "I (also) hope that people walk away and are able to laugh at themselves and the way they may fight with a loved one."

You can read the article in its entirety here.

By contrast to this "update" of the play, made for the benefit of "younger audiences," here are some excerpts from the summary of the play as presented by Wikipedia:

Led by the title character, Lysistrata, the story's female characters barricade the public funds building and withhold sex from their husbands to end the Peloponnesian War and secure peace. In doing so, Lysistrata engages the support of women from Sparta, Boeotia, and Corinth. All of the other women are first against Lysistrata's suggestion to withhold sex. Finally, they agree to swearing an oath of allegiance by drinking wine from a phallic shaped flask, as the traditional implement (an upturned shield) would have been a symbol of actions opposed to the aims of the women. This action is ironic and therefore comical, because Greek men believed women had no self-restraint, a lack displayed in their alleged fondness for wine as well as for sex.

and:

Lysistrata touches upon the poignancy of young women left with no eligible young men to marry because of deaths in the wars: "Nay, but it isn't the same with a man/Grey though he be when he comes from the battlefield/still if he wishes to marry he can/Brief is the spring and the flower of our womanhood/once let slip, and it comes not again/Sit as we may with our spells and our auguries/never a husband shall marry us then."

From the news article, it doesn't sound like much of the original play, or its anti-war sentiment, made it to Cedar City, does it? But at least the kiddies will be able to come and enjoy a wholesome comedy about the battle of the sexes, and not have to worry about anyone criticizing the war that may have killed their daddies.

I don't know what Frezza thinks she's updating here, but it ain't Aristophanes.

NOTE: I plan on attending the play this weekend, and will report back.