Verge Theater puts on Greek comedy classic

An 18-and-older performance of the ancient Greek comedy “Lysistrata” came to the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture’s (ECAC) Verge Theater — a local theater group based out of the ECAC — last week. The cast and crew staged the production in Bozeman on Nov. 15, 16 and 17. Their goal? Infuse the ancient tale with a modern lens, by delivering a sharp, timely commentary on gender politics, collective action and the enduring power of women’s voices.

“Lysistrata” is a classic comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes in 411 B.C.E. The play is a satire on war and gender roles, set during the Peloponnesian War. In the story, a woman named Lysistrata unites women from Athens and Sparta to end the Peloponnesian War by withholding sex from their husbands. The men in the show — who donned prosthetic erections the whole time — eventually admit the futility of war and call for peace.

The Bozeman showing was directed by MSU student and Stage Manager for Verge Theater Jess Lee. “I wanted to stay true to some deeply Greek play themes, keep the story accurate,”  Lee, who has worked with Verge for nearly a decade, told the Exponent. “[But] we flipped the script of women being the joke to the power.”

“I was raised by a mom that is very feminist — it's always been a part of my identity growing up, so it feels natural to just exist in this space, I definitely chose very specific parts of what's going on outside of the world to think about with this,” Lee said of her motivations for directing the play.

Many cast members echoed similar sentiments. “I think that the state of our country mirrors Lysistrata so well,” said the lead actress Abby Huetter, who played Lysistrata. She and other members of the cast cited their unique experience working on this play both pre and post-election.

“This conversation around the power of women, the power of unity and collective action feels much more important to me than it did a few weeks ago,” actress Lorelei Michael-Owens said, Michael-Owens played a variety of characters such as Lampito, Reconciliation and Woman A.

“The men in the play are completely dismissive of anything that women can possibly be thinking of doing and that dismissiveness, for me, amped up after the elections,” Michael Beehler, who played the leader of the men’s chorus, said.

Another central theme is the anti-war message that underlines the story. “Sometimes war is necessary, but at times you have to realize — when are you just doing it for your own pride?” Anya Bentz, who plays a member of the women’s chorus, said. This sentiment was echoed with other members in the cast. “War without purpose is just inflamed ego,” cast member Sean Hecock said.

Other cast members referenced the ongoing 2023 Israel-Hamas war as another relevant connection between the play and the state of the world today.

“There's a lot of conversation right now about war and violence, especially with what's happening in [the Gaza Strip],” Jaelyn Silvey, who plays Myrrhine, said. “It's very divisive — some think that we shouldn't be touching it and others know that we have to. There are people just like you and me who are being directly harmed and killed and injured by these actions.”

Michael-Owens pointed out a positive take away from the production. “[After watching] I hope that people think, what power do we as individuals have and how can we bring each other up?” she said. “I think that this is fundamentally a story about political organizing.”

Despite the political undertones, many members of the cast and crew emphasize inclusivity. “I was part of the committee that chose this show, and one thing that we try to do is operate under the principle of inclusion,” Silvey said. “There's pieces in this show that will resonate with everybody no matter which side of the spectrum you're on.”

“We specifically marketed this so that it wasn't coming across as political. I want butts in seats listening to the message and then taking it home and thinking for themselves,” Lee said.

And, of course, being a comedy the crew especially wanted the audience to laugh. “I really hope that people find it fun, everybody needs a little bit of levity,” Michael-Owens said. This sentiment rang true with other members of the cast. “Every single [show] we're all backstage just having to hold back laughter,” Hecock said.

“If you have trepidations about seeing an ancient Greek play, put that aside,” Huetter said. “It's so topical, the themes are so relevant and it's so funny. It has something for everyone.”