Lysistrata's Raucous, Raunchy Rebellion at NCRT 

It's opening night of North Coast Repertory Theatre's sex comedy Lysistrata. The excitement is palpable with bouquets in the hands of proud parents eager to support their kids, actors' friends bursting with energy and support, not to mention the judging and roaming eyes of critics stashing observances for later. This raucous show dripping with penis puns, sexcapades and ginormous phalluses that would make porn stars blush needs electricity like this opening night to sustain its pace, energy and consent to its content. As a testimony to its fun, one leaves fantasizing about the gluttony of laughter and unadulterated joy to be had seeing the play with different combinations of friends and family — it needs to be seen in a gaggle.

NCRT is smart pairing this production with its alternating weekend of the emotional Pintauro. The juxtaposition of both in style, content and direction creates a gravitational pull to each other. An audience member may want to be a voyeur in the lives of real people and experience depth of acting, or just to have fun in a three-ring spectacle; both weekends feed off of each other. Lysistrata, for some, serves as a palate cleanser for the seriousness of the previous weekend and allows them complete release in its debauchery. Others, for whom the Dell'Artian approach feels unpolished, are more motivated for the next weekend's offering of intense one-act dramas. Both are legitimate and enjoyable, and weirdly work in tandem.

This Lysistrata is a modern and very loose adaptation of Aristophanes' 411 B.C. play of the same name, with the production poking fun at itself and its legitimacy by using the original author's original title. Simply, amid the Athenian wars, the women create a plan to withhold sex until the warring factions come to peace. As the script says, they are going to "keep it zipped until they flip" and leave the men "moaning like unmilked cows."

Smart, too, is Brian Butler's scenic design. It's a simple and elegant Grecian pergola against the bright red velvet proscenium with shrubbery at the base of its columns. And yet, it also forms two pairs of furry testicles and large dicks reaching to touch its open-shell adorned roof, scandalously laid among comfortable and inviting scarlet red bedding. Somehow Butler makes both true and both fitting.

Megan Hughes again shows her brilliance and humor by creating costumes that are more about what's under them. They are all simply draped fabric with some type of belt, yet with voids that allow the audience to peek at what's underneath. Some choose to show glimplses of leopard print cat suits, some sexy lingerie, others just skin — all are perfect. It is a bold decision for a costumer to make underwear more important than the actual costume. Some of the footwear left me with questions but was still funny. Meanwhile, one outstanding costume direct from the books of Bob Mackie a la Carol Burnett's Went With the Wind deserves an applause on its own.

Each cast member was a joy to watch and together they felt like cohesive storytellers. The pace of the show is driven brilliantly by Kathlina Eayre (Lysistrata), whom I look forward to seeing more of on the stage. The cast is extremely well rounded and looked like they were having fun both onstage and off as Stage Manager A.J. Hempstead even briefly makes a joyous appearance with some pom-poms. The pairing of powerhouse Liz Whittemore (Myrrhine/Old Woman) and Ruthie Engelke's expertise was fascinating. Whittemore embodies the philosophy of the absurd without going over the top (or only going over in the best ways?) while Engleke completely dives into her environment and raises the stakes to the point of absurdity. Both approaches are incredibly well done and complement each other brilliantly. Jay Templeton (Athenian Chorus Leader No. 2) brings their work to absolute new heights. Though I am a big fan of their previous shows and character acting, this is completely unrecognizable from their previous characters and perfect in its execution with the correct amount of clown and method. Moss Nipkau (Magistrate), also a standout rising star, knows how to emphasize and sing lines to squeeze humor out of seemingly mundane places. His delivery is impeccable. And can someone please get Cathryn Noel-Veatch (Belphragia) some cold water to douse herself? Her need to get her (cough) needs met is hilarious.

Director Shawn Wagner is an expert at this more physical theatre approach and was a great choice for this project. There are places where the physicality feels a bit flat, and either the actors need more encouragement to really get lost, or the refinement was too much. This is particularly visible in the acrobatic scene, where much of the same moves and choices are seen among the cast; it may be more effective with more specific schticks or if actors are encouraged get sillier. Still, his expertise is felt and appreciated in the direction of the piece.

One or two tickets is not enough to experience this show. It is really meant to be a party and, as such, I recommend bringing the party and letting Dionysus and Eris do the rest. Enjoy.

NCRT's production of Lysistrata continues with 8 p.m. performances Sept. 8, 9, 22 and 23, and 2 p.m. shows Sept. 10 (masked matinee) and 24. Visit ncrt.net or call (707) 442-6278.

Tiggerbouncer Custodio (he/she/they) is an empowered queer Indigenous Filipino artist whose works have been seen on Humboldt stages and elsewhere.

NOW PLAYING

North Coast Repertory Theatre's Pintauro: An Evening of One Acts runs through Sept. 17 with 8 p.m. performances Sept. 1-2 and 15-16, and 2 p.m. shows Sept. 3 and 17. Visit ncrt.net or call (707) 442-6278.