Mad Horse Theatre Presents LYSISTRATA, Now thru 10/11

MAD HORSE THEATRE COMPANY opens its 30th Anniversary Season with an audacious production of LYSISTRATA, by Aristophanes.

Greek playwright Aristophanes is known as the Father of Comedy. Eleven of his 30 plays have survived for more than two millennia virtually intact, and they provide modern day theatre goers with a true representation of the ancient Greek comic drama known as Old Comedy.

LYSISTRATA is the comic account of one woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War. It was written as an anti-war play, with the women of Greece vowing to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands as a means of forcing the men to negotiate a peace. Not only did the play survive and continue to be produced over the next two thousand plus years, but human history has changed Lysistrata. It resonates with audiences now in a completely different way. It's still full of outrageous satire and innuendo, but it's also a feminist call to action. This is a play about women discovering the power of their sexuality and using their power to stop a war.

For this Mad Horse production of LYSISTRATA, Aristophanes' script has been adapted by Company member and play director Reba Short.

"I don't read Greek, but I read several translations to get to the root of what Aristophanes intended, and then I put the line in my own words," says Short. "I wanted to create a LYSISTRATA that would suit the present without modernizing it. I tried to tailor the play to Mad Horse, the company of actors, the space, and the audience. I think we've ended up with something that suits the Mad Horse mission of producing passionate, provocative work."

With a cast of 17, LYSISTRATA is a dynamic production, ushering in a season of incredible work from a company which has been exciting and inspiring audiences for thirty years. The cast includes Mad Horse Company members Janice Gardner, Shannon Campbell, Allison McCall, Marie Stewart Harmon, Christine Louise Marshall, Burke Brimmer, Mark Rubin, Brent Askari, and Chris Horton, along with Guest Artists Christina Klein, Emma Payton Cooper, Lucy B. Sullivan, Elisabeth Hardcastle, Jeffrey Charles Day, Jacob Cote, Kelsey Anderson-Taylor, and Johnny Speckman.

The design team includes Jennifer Halm-Perazone (Stage & Production Manager), Stacey Koloski (Set Design & Props), Anna Halloran (Costume Designer), Corey Anderson (Lighting Designer), Brittany Cook (Sound Designer), Scott Leland (Graphic Designer), and Stacey Collins (Graphic Designer).

Mad Horse Theatre Company was founded in 1986 in Portland as a professional resident theater ensemble. The Company quickly developed a reputation for innovative interpretations of cutting-edge contemporary plays as well as the dramatic classics. Its mission has been the driving force behind a history of productions that have added to Maine's artistic enrichment and to the social discourse that is at the heart of a strong community.

LYSISTRATA runs tonight, September 24, through October 11, 2015, at the Mad Horse Theater in the historic Hutchins School, 24 Mosher Street, South Portland. Performance times are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 7:30pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2pm. There will be an Opening Night Reception immediately following the Friday, September 25, performance. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $17 for seniors and students. As always, every Thursday night is Pay What You Can, as available at the door. Reservations are strongly recommended. Purchase tickets online at www.madhorse.com or call 747-4148 for more information. Call to learn more about Group Rate specials.

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