Bradley Moore directs his own adaptation of Aristophanes' Lysistrata, as ACT 1 readies its fourth show of the 2015/2016 season, featuring a cast of respected Nashville actors.
"Bradley Moore puts his own unique spin on this lusty tale of war and the gentle way these women have of encouraging their men," says Memory Strong, ACT 1's executive director.
According to Strong's synopsis of Moore's adaptation: "When a brave group of women decide to stand up for peace, they find a powerful, yet unlikely strategy to get their own way. They tell their men the sex stops unless they stop fighting. Lysistrata by Aristophanes has been given a modern twist and dropped into a modern-day woman's prison in ACT 1's bold new take on this classic."Moore's version of Aristophanes' classic play focuses on a group of women in confinement who are fighting for their basic rights and privileges, which have been all but revoked by the Athens Prison authorities while a great territorial war is being fought on the outside. When the free women of the town catch wind of Lysistrata's plan to regain peace on the inside, they join in the crusade by withholding sex themselves to demand peace on
the outside. With hugely comedic elements of physical theatre and exaggerated characters, this offbeat adaptation is a vibrant take on an Ancient Greek classic - and there's not a toga in sight.
Moore's cast for the premiere production include Cat Arnold (who starred in August: Osage County for ACT 1, directed earlier this season by Moore) as Lysistrata; Austin Olive as the Magistrate; Terry Occhiogrosso as Lampito; Maggie Pitt as Cleonice; Christen Heilman Runyon as Myrrhine; Michael James Thomas as Cinesias; with Holly Butler, Sarah Shepherd, Megan Blevins, Cate Eunyoung Jo, Philip Boston, Steve Howie and Eric Ventress as the people.
Lysistrata opens March 4, 2016 at the Darkhorse and runs through March 18, with Thursday, Friday, and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. For further details - and to purchase tickets - go to www.act1online.com.
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