The reading is being produced by the college’s acting teacher. “He’s going to have the lead male role because he’s quite a hunk,” Jennings explains. “I told him that we needed a babe to play Myrna, and he said he could probably find one.”
Though the college’s theater department offered the use of its auditorium for the reading, Jennings prefers to do it on its steps — “our free-speech area. That will keep it outdoors so that students will see it.”
Jennings’ Long Beach City College group figures its reading will run 90 minutes, and during a recent strategy meeting held in the English department’s faculty lounge, costuming ideas range from togas for the actors and the ushers to official Lysistrata Project white T-shirts to basic black.
“I want to play the butler!” the young advocate for basic black announces.
“Does anyone really know this play?” Jennings asks.
“It’s been a while since we’ve read it,” comes the answer.
“Did you Xerox all of the scripts?” one instructor jokingly inquires. “Is that legal — will we get sued?”
“We need good voices —”
“Karen is stentorian enough — let’s ask her.”
“Someone needs to contact Facilities for 200 chairs.”
“I’ll do it.”
“We can download the flier from the Web site, but we should have our own.”
“I’ve got a digital camera — I can take pictures of my parents’ Greek artwork and use that for the flier.”
The meeting ends on one debate note: Can a female play the role of the herald?
“The herald can’t be a woman,” a purist points out, “because the role is for a ‘citizen,’ and Greek women weren’t citizens.”
There is a moment of reflection before someone cuts to the spirit of the play and, indeed, of the project itself:
“But this is an anti-war play! We can fudge a little.”
For more information on the Lysistrata Project, go to www.lysistrataproject.com. For info on local readings, go to www.peaceact.org. Tickets to the LAFCO reading in Venice are first-come, first-served. For information on the reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theater, call (310) 281-8385.
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