Activists
Worldwide Use Ancient Play to Address Current Crisis
Contact: Jen Nessel (917) 442-0112 jnlysistrata@hotmail.com
WEBSITE: http://www.lysistrataproject.com
Public Readings of Lysistrata in 38
Countries and All 50 US States Condemn
Preemptive War on Iraq
NEW YORK, NY -- On March 3, 2003,
the Lysistrata Project will present
worldwide readings of Aristophanes’ ancient Greek anti-war
comedy
Lysistrata. To date, 620 play readings are scheduled in 38
countries, and in
all of the 50 U.S. states, to voice opposition to the war
on Iraq; those
numbers increase hourly. Readings will raise money for charities
working for
peace and humanitarian aid in the Middle East.
Lysistrata tells the story of women
from opposing states who unite to end a
war by refusing to sleep with their husbands until the men
agree to lay down
their swords. Powerless in their society and distraught over
too many of
their children being slaughtered in battle, the women take
the only tactic
available to them: they withhold sex.
Fast-forward 2,400 years: swords are
now weapons of mass destruction. Faced
with the prospect of massive loss of human life -- both Iraqi
and American
-- Lysistrata Project participants world-wide take a new
tactic and add
their voices to the mounting clamor of global anti-war protests.
In New York City, where the project originated, dozens of
teams of actors
and directors will read Lysistrata in public spaces throughout
the day. The
Lysistrata Project will then present an all-star reading
of the play that
evening. Mercedes Ruehl will read the title role, and will
be joined by F.
Murray Abraham, Kevin Bacon, Peter Boyle, Kathleen Chalfont,
Delphi
Harrington, Kyra Sedgwick, Lori Singer, and David Strathairn
(schedules
permitting). Ellen McLaughlin directs. The reading will begin
at 7 p.m.; the location will be announced this week.
On the west coast, Julie Christie, Alfre Woodard, Christine
Lahti, Mary
McDonnell, Barbara Williams, Eric Stoltz, Ed Begley Jr. and
Jose Zuniga will
appear in a reading at The Los Angeles Filmmaker Cooperative's
Powerhouse
Cultural Space. Michael Heaney directs. “At least for the
record of history
we have to let it be known that millions and millions opposed
this war,”
said actress Julie Christie.
In addition to readings in international
cities such as London, Berlin,
Paris, Beirut, and Jerusalem, groups from nearly every state
in the U.S.A.
are hosting events as part of this worldwide theatrical act
of dissent.
Participants in this grassroots project come from all walks
of life. For
example:
-- College students in Texas will hold Lysistrata-reading
marathons on a
conservative campus;
-- Midwestern homemakers will conduct readings with their
book clubs;
-- Teachers will use the study guide from the Lysistrata
Project’s web site
in their classes;
-- A man in Beirut will put on his own adaptation of the
play that
incorporates Arabic and English anti-war poetry; and
-- A woman in California will stage her reading with the
patients and staff
in the hospital where her partner is undergoing cancer treatment.
The Lysistrata Project was conceived
in early January of this year by New
York actors Kathryn Blume and Sharron Bower. "Before
we started Lysistrata
Project, we could do nothing but sit and watch in horror
as the Bush
Administration drove us toward a unilateral attack on Iraq," says
co-founder
Blume. "So we emailed
all our friends and put up a web site. The response
has been enormous." Co-founder
Bower adds, "Many people have emailed us to
say how distraught they feel about the war. Now they feel
empowered to do
something, and foster dialogue in their own communities."
Blume and Bower describe themselves
as patriotic Americans. "With the
freedom and wealth of our country comes great responsibility
-- and this war
is not a responsible act," says
Bower. "If America rushes into a unilateral
attack on Iraq, the White House not only drives our country
deeper into
deficit spending, but also alienates our allies, and fans
the flames of
anti-American sentiment all over the world."
Blume concludes, "Our
purpose is to make it very clear that President Bush
does not speak for all Americans. Our message is simple:
If you oppose this
war, then speak up!"
To contact event spearheads and participants in your local
area for
coverage, click here to go to the cities page on the Lysistrata
Project web
site. and look up your city or region.
For info on The Los Angeles Filmmaker Cooperative reading:
Shannon Goodwin (323) 655-0593 sgoodwin@bk-pr.com |
