Annika Nelson Gretchen Nordleaf IB Theatre Period 6 10/11/15

Director’s Notebook

Table of Contents

Background on Lysistrata and Greek Theatre 1-4

Influences from Live Theatre 4

Background on Lottery Draft of 1969 4

Conceptualizing the Characters and the Setting 5

Costumes, Colors, Set 6-8

Staging a Moment of Lysistrata 8

Director’s Intention 9

Bibliography 9-10

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Background on Greek Theatre and Lysistrata:

The plays that were written in ancient Greece were written and performed for Festivals to

celebrate the Greek gods, specifically Dionysus. These festivals happened four times a year, the

biggest taking place in the spring. The key element of the festival was the plays that were

submitted into the festival’s contest. Greek plays would be performed in an amphitheater, which

was composed of three main parts, the orchestra (stage), the scene (main stage), and the Koilon

(seating). The scene was originally intended for backdrops and settings and included three

entrances, but later became the place were the main events of play took place.

In the time of ancient Greece, actors, directors, and dramatists were all considered the

same and of equal value. In a play, you were only allowed to have three main actors, however,

you were allowed to use those three actors as different characters. Along with the actors, there

was the chorus, which was a group of male and sometimes female characters, who were meant to

give advice, portray the community, establishes a basis for how one judges a characters’ actions,

represent what the playwright was hoping to achieve from the audience, heighten the mood and

effects, add dimension as well as song and dance, and/or speak in a rhythmical way. Another

very, VERY important aspect to remember was that the cast was composed of all men, so if there

was a female part, it would be played by a man.

There were three main genres of plays: Tragedy, Comedy, and Satire. A Greek Tragedy

was composed of several main ideas, being that there was violence or a death off stage, no breaks

or scene changes, one central setting, and focused on the psychological and ethical characteristics

and components of characters rather than physical. A Greek Satire, or Satyr, got its name from

having a chorus of half men half beast, known as a satyr, which is said to be a companion to

Dionysus. It was said to be the Burlesque of Mythology including many Greek Gods and Heroes.

The form of a Satire, however, was very similar to that of a tragedy. A Greek comedy was meant

  3  

to be the author’s views on society, politics, literature, or in Lysistrata case, the Peloponnesian

war. The ideas were usually exaggerated, farcical, and included sexual humor.

Lysistrata was a play written in 411 BCE, in ancient Greece by Aristophanes. Lysistrata

was written and set during the Peloponnesian war; the war between the Athenians and the

Peloponnesian confederacy, the Spartans, which was essentially derived from jealousy of one

another. Aristophanes, like many others, just wished for the war to end and to make peace.

Aristophanes intentionally made the characters who rebelling, women so it didn’t seem like he

was directly stating his beliefs. Also, at the time of the Peloponnesian war, women weren’t valued

and were considered the “lowest beasts” of Greek Culture. Aristophanes wasn’t your every day

sexist pig in ancient Greece, he actually thought women were intelligent and should be valued,

considering the fact that the men were foolish enough to go off to war. In the end, many of those

who viewed it saw it as such an unrealistic portrayal, that it was then considered a comedy.

The premise of Lysistrata was that the main character, Lysistrata, was sick and tired of men

going off to war, so she gathers the women of Athens, along with a woman from Sparta, where

they lock themselves in the Acropolis going on a sex strike. With the men being away at war, the

old men of Athens take it upon themselves to stop the women, however, they do not prevail. It

gets to the points where the men can’t take it anymore and agree that they had been foolish, and

decide to make peace with one another.

  4  

Influences from Live Theatre:

When thinking about how I want to portray the story of Lysistrata and what elements I want to

use, I think about past plays that I’ve seen, whether it is in the last six months or in the last six

years. One aspect I want to touch upon, I saw in a production called “Lizard Boy”; whenever

there was a flashback there were cartoons projecting the depicted memories on a screen behind

the actors. I decided to take this element and rather than cartoons, project actual newspapers

from the 1960’s when Lysistrata speaks of the war. Another production I’d like to take elements

from is a production of “Godspell” that I saw when I was twelve years old. In this production, to

signify whether a character was evil or not, they used red scarves and would tie them around

there neck or there wrist or in their hair. In the same sense, I’m going to use red pocket squares

or ties for all of the men who are fighting against Lysistrata, even the Chief of police will have a

red tie. Another piece I will use is a moving wall, which I saw in a production of “Shrek” the

musical where they used they moved it as if it was a storybook to signify a scene change. I will use

the wall in the same way structurally, but it will be used to portray whenever it is the women

speaking within the Library or whenever the men are discussing outside of the Library.

Background on Lottery Draft of 1969:

When the Vietnam War started in 1954, they would draft men of the right age to serve for their

country (US). There were many ways that men would try and avoid being drafted. Many citizens

also argued that the only people being drafted were those who were poor or working class, and

that a small percentage was made of the higher class. So on December 1st of 1969, the Select

Service System or SSS started the Lottery Draft program. The way the Lottery Draft worked was

there were 366 plastic capsules with dates written on them. When on of the capsules was drawn,

that meant those who were of draft eligible age had first “priority” to serve. Then another lottery

would be held with 26 capsules with each letter of the alphabet, which would then order the

“priority” among the men.

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Conceptualizing the characters and background:

Women

Lysistrata, President of Stewardship Committee: Lysistrata

is your ideal image of a hippie. She just wants peace among

everyone and is willing to fight no matter what the cost. To

add even more to her rebellious side, she is placed in pants,

something that wasn’t a excepted social norm.

Myrrhine, Wannabe Housewife: Myrrhine is engaged to

Cinesias, who is the ideal husband. All she is looking for is to

grow up, have children, and provide for her family at home.

Calonice, President of Safe Sex Committee: Calonice is a

toned down version of Lysistrata. Calonice is always worried

about safety first.

Lampito, President of Racial Equality Committee: Lampito

is the only black woman. She represents the other side of

Sparta or the black community. She decides to take on

Lysistrata’s leader stance for that of the black community.

Chorus: hippies, bright, female college students

Men

Magistrate, Chief of Police: Magistrate is

just looking to calm down these

rebellious young girls and he does not

believe they are capable of achieving

peace.

Cinesias, Captain of the Debate Team:

Cinesias is the definition of Cocky. He is

engaged to Myrrhine and is captain of

the debate team giving him an

automatic ego boost.

Stratyllis, Mathlete: Stratyllis is a smart

young man who is very sexist but is not

very strong mentally and physically.

Chorus: arrogant, intelligent, male

college students

Europe → University of Berkeley

Athens → White Community→

Sparta → Black Community→

Acropolis → Sproul Hall

Rather than have it be two opposing

sides like in the original case of

Lysistrata, the Athenians and the

Spartans, I chose to make it divided

racially since both races are fighting on

the same side and are fighting for the

same thing. Another reason for dividing

the sides by race is because it would not

be historically accurate to have a truce

between Vietnam and the US.

  6  

Costumes, Colors, Set:

Lysistrata Calonice

Lampito Myrrhine

  7  

Magistrate Cinesias

Stratyllis Men and Women

  8  

Staging a moment of Lysistrata:

The scene I will be staging is when Magistrate first addresses the women. The reason for

Magistrate entering is that the male students of the college had not made any progress trying to

get the women to surrender, so they had to use more force. Magistrate has the intention of trying

to be gentle and ease the women out of the Acropolis, but once Magistrate realizes that the

women won’t budge, his anger increases. Lysistrata will stand her ground and almost talk to

Magistrate in a teasing tone from a window of the acropolis, putting herself above magistrate

physically and mentally. The men in the chorus will be in a state of shock; women are rebelling

against men. The women of the chorus will initially be timid, but once they realize what control

they have over the men, their confidence increases.

  9  

Director’s Intention:

The theme I want to portray is the idea that those who are rebellious are capable of being

in the right; the fact that initially everybody disagreed or was concerned with Lysistrata’s goals,

but eventually everybody sided with her. There is also the fact that feminism was apparent in

every point in time since the beginning of mankind. I want the audience to be able to relate to

each of the characters, making their identities and characteristics easier to differentiate, where as

in ancient Greece the characters were usually either timid or headstrong. In the end, I want the

audience to think about and question the current ideals of feminism.

Research:

• O. Brockett and R. Ball 2011 The Essential Theatre Wadsworth

http://web.archive.org/web/20061019025809/http://novaonline.nv.cc.va.us/eli/spd130et/an

cientgreek.htm#tra  

http://web.archive.org/web/20060224194631/http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/d

rama-We_GreekDrama.asp

http://web.archive.org/web/20060828200811/http://www.ccs.k12.in.us/chsPA/drama/Stude

nts/ThtrHist2000/period7/p7Greek00/greek2.htm

http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/lysistrata/context.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20061019025809/http://novaonline.nv.cc.va.us/eli/spd130et/an

cientgreek.htm

Images:  

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ak0.pinimg.com/236x/2c/f5/00/2cf500e90a17a34755e2d89c661ce8e1.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/1960s_fashions_(1709303069).jpg

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https://www.google.com/search?q=bombing+for+peace+is+like+fucking+for+virginity&es_sm

=119&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAmoVChMIypOPjti9yAIVCZSICh

0PQQVN&biw=1149&bih=679#tbm=isch&q=housewife+1960%27s&imgrc=JLCCDQqoYJb

NgM%3A

http://girltalkhq.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/640-MAKERS-

04_MarchonWashington1963.jpg

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ak0.pinimg.com/236x/70/a6/7c/70a67ca0bcd9034829360f6d0e2b216b.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/09/29/1412006285159_wps_105_Eric_Idle_from_around

_ear.jpg

http://www.dvrbs.com/people/BobBartosz/010906-04.jpg

http://www.mintagevintage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/The-beautiful-sense-of-1960s-

fashion3.jpg

https://theinvisibleagent.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/ad-men-1960.jpg