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| L to R - Cara McHugh, Jennifer Levine, Any Steiger, Beth Burrell and April Singer in Misses Strata. Photo by Doug Schutte. |
Misses Strata
Written by Doug Schutte
Directed by Scot Atkinson
Reviewed by Emily Pike
Entire contents are copyright © 2012, Emily Pike. All
rights reserved.
Two months ago, I changed career
paths and moved back home to Louisville after nearly eight years in New York
City. There are many reasons I am thrilled to be back home, but one of the
things I was sure I would miss about New York was the large volume of
high-quality, small-venue, independent theatrical work. But after seeing Misses
Strata – my second very positive experience at The Bard’s Town – I’ve come
to believe that either I’ve gotten lucky in the plays I’ve seen so far, or
Louisville’s theatre scene has enough quality work going on that I won’t miss
NYC’s as much as I thought.
For those of you unfamiliar with
the Greek comedy Lysistrata, on which Misses Strata is based, it
was written by Aristophanes in 411 BC in Athens. Lysistrata convinces the women
of Greece to undertake a solemn vow with her to withhold all sexual privileges
from husbands and lovers until the male leaders of government form a peace
agreement to end the interminable Peloponnesian War. A group of men
attempts to burn them out of the Acropolis, which they have overtaken, but the
women are able to put out the fire. Following a series of similar
men-versus-women interactions, they are finally able to persuade the men into
reaching a peace agreement. The play ends with dancing, merriment, and a feast
in the Acropolis.
In Misses Strata,
playwright Doug Schutte has tailored Aristophanes’ comedy to fit the modern
era. The women of America are fed up with their politician husbands and
gridlock in Washington. At the top of the play, ancient protagonist Lysistrata
(Amy Steiger) can’t believe that she is still needed in 2012 A.D. to address the
same issues she thought had been resolved over 2,500 years ago. But other
characters readily observe that, despite women’s progress over the last
century, the American power structure is still an old boys’ club. So, led by
the newly-dubbed Misses Strata, the women undertake a sacred vow (over what
appears to be a massive jug of Carlo Rossi) to close their legs until men can
open their minds and start getting America back on track.
Playwright Schutte, director Scot
Atkinson and the ensemble have done an excellent job in this production of
drawing broad and hilarious caricatures of some major players from both sides
of the aisle. Character Dick (Ryan Watson) lurks from entrance to exit in a
hunting cap with rifle in hand like a perverse and cantankerous Elmer Fudd,
ready to shoot anything that even reminds of him of the word “terrorist.” A
predictably pant-suited Hillary (Jennifer Levine) shuffles seriously from one
part of the stage to another, lacking the feminine “daintiness” required to comfortably
walk in her own heels. Two brief appearances of the barely verbal Mitch (also
Watson) have him carrying bags of cash and counting dollar bills while saying
the only two phrases he knows – “money” and “free speech.”
The point-of-view the production
takes is that today’s political inaction is everyone’s fault, and this
position is supported from start to finish with plenty of equal-opportunity
laughs. For example, when Senators Mitch and Boehner (J. P. Lebangood) attempt
to burn the rebellious women out of the capitol building with flaming bags of
tax money, one woman exclaims: “You wouldn’t expect Republicans to burn money;
it’s all they care about! Democrats, I can understand…they burn through cash
like its kindling!”
Schutte has also managed to
incorporate some unexpected and relatable human qualities into characters whom
another playwright might have treated more harshly. The result is a political
commentary-versus-comedy dynamic that leans generously toward the side of
comedy, letting the audience fully enjoy every joke and laugh without reserve.
There is much horseplay and no self-aware discomfort; the show is sarcastic
without being sardonic. For instance, in a different style of satire, our most
recent former president might have been singled out for condemnation for his
role in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan or the national debt. But here, he is
depicted as the downright likable Georgie Boy (also Lebangood), a well-meaning
dunce who, in his “lightly used” Air National Guard uniform, is reminiscent of
lovable doofus Gomer Pyle from The Andy Griffith Show. The sweetness we
encounter in interactions between him and wife Laura (Beth Burrell), even after
he learns that she is a leader of the women’s cause, is adorable – as is her
evident affection for him and concern for the well-being of their relationship.
It is choices like this that make Miss Strata so easily enjoyable.
And, I have to say, I was
mightily impressed by the sheer number of sexual innuendos the playwright was
able to conjure up for two full hours of nonstop allusions, references, puns and wordplay. From Dick to Boehner to Bush to President Willie, Schutte
certainly managed to mine the landscape of unfortunate American political names
for all it was worth. This is not a play for anyone uncomfortable with bawdy
humor.
The one true criticism I have is
that the songs dragged. In a throwback to the chorus sections of the original
Greek Lysistrata, Schutte has included a handful of songs set to
familiar patriotic tunes and sung by various characters or groups of characters
throughout the play. It appears that most of the actors are not singers, but
that did not bother me when they remained committed to their lyrics and
characters rather than trying to focus on singing well. The real problem was
one of tempo. The musical numbers would have worked much better if some faster
recordings could have been used. The closing number would especially benefit from
the company being able to move through the lyrics at a quicker, more natural
pace.
Overall, however, the cast and
crew can be proud of a fine and funny show. I would easily recommend Misses
Strata to anyone old enough to watch an R-rated movie.
Misses Strata
June 14, 15, 16, 17*, 20*, 21*, 22, 23. All
performances at 7:30 p.m. (*Denotes value performances, with discounted seats
available). Tickets $15 cash, $16 credit, and only $10 ($11 credit) for all
value performances.
The Bard’s Town Theatre
1801 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40205
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