The Talbot Theatre production of Lysistrata both entertained and delighted this member of the audience, who was there partly because of an English assignment requirement, but mainly because of the opportunity to enjoy a live theatre production. The theatre company employed many different components to bring this antiwar play to life that evening on the stage.

These components can be broken into three categories, which visually enhanced the text of the play. The first of these categories is the setting, the stage lighting, and the props. The second component is the symbolism of some of those props, and the third component is the character portrayals by the actors on the stage.

To take us back to ancient Greece, the props master employed a very simple interpretation using columns on a raised set of steps, with a backdrop of blue. To add to the feel of the era, a statue stands in the middle of the platform. This platform serves double duty as the Akropolis and as the Citadel, both of which the women have occupied. When the men light a fire below the walls of the Akropolis, smoke pours out of the bundle of sticks, making it appear as if a fire has reall

An excellent portrayal of a frustrated husband is seen when Kinesias comes to find Myrrhine. This is the first appearance of a male with a very large protuberance under his tunic, and Kinesias has all of the facial expressions and body language of a man being teased and frustrated by his wife. Lysistrata has taken this opportunity to coach Myrrhine to torment and tease him to reinforce the cause. After Kinesias leaves, more male characters appear with the same suffering and misery visible below their belts. We sense that the time is near for the men to give in and begin talks with Lysistrata and the women.

The characters presented the most impressive visual component. Lysistrata was portrayed perfectly as a down-to-earth woman who has had enough of war and is willing to lead a revolution to end it. Most of the rest of the women are portrayed as being frothy little things, more interested in clothing, shopping and sex, interests which Lysistrata feels that she can employ to bring about the change in the men's attitudes. The costumes on the main characters evoked the image of the time, and helped to define the characters. Both the members of the female chorus and the male chorus are dressed in white, to keep them separate in our minds from the main characters of the story. However, they are employed in such a way in the play as to explain a lot of the story to us by carrying a lot of the action and dialog

Some common words found in the essay are:
Akropolis Citadel, Sparta Magistrate, Talbot Theatre, , main characters, stage lighting, kinesias comes myrrhine, lysistrata women, kinesias comes, comes myrrhine, theatre production,
Approximate Word count = 960
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)