CCM Play Series opens with dramatic double bill, 'Lysistrata' and 'The Trojan Women'

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) launches its 2022-23 Play Series with Cincinnati Dionysia: Lysistrata + The Trojan Women, which runs Thursday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 2 in Patricia Corbett Theatre; tickets are on sale through the CCM Box Office.

The double-bill pairs two of the most enduring works of the Western theatrical canon — Aristophanes’ satirical comedy Lysistrata and Euripides’ anti-war drama The Trojan Women, both adapted by Ellen McLaughlin. Though the stories differ in tone, each centers women’s struggle for agency in the face of war’s devastation.

Lysistrata’s titular character is an Athenian housewife who, fed up with the ongoing Peloponnesian War, calls upon her fellow women to declare celibacy as an act of protest. Unless the men agree to peace, there will be no love-making on the Athenian home front. The Trojan Women, on the other hand, “is a tragedy about people who are the spoils of war, collateral damage, the left overs,” says the double-bill’s director, CCM Acting Professor Brant Russell. After the fall of Troy, the widowed women of the city await whatever lies ahead, their fates resting in the hands of the Greek victors.  

There are war plays from every era, but few remain in the repertory for thousands of years. Speaking to what makes these two plays so enduring, Russell says “I could say that they are sadly always relevant, and that’s true, [but] I think the more interesting question is what we as a culture do when we participate in the archaeology of unearthing ancient stories.”

“Are we communing with our Greek cultural ancestors?” he asks. “Are we unearthing eternal human truths? Or are we, like everyone in the intervening 2500 years, participating in some sort of ritual, metaphor, dance, that ties us to the human endeavor writ large?”

Audiences are also invited to attend pre-show talks from 7:15-7:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, and Friday, Sept. 30 in the CCM Baur Room (details below). The 30-minute talks will be hosted by Cincinnati Dionysia Director Brant Russell; Dramaturg/Director of Choral Movement Caitlin Hines, Assistant Professor in UC College of Arts and Sciences Classics Department; and Composer Jay Mobley. They will give insight into how their collaborative efforts brought this production to life. Audiences will also learn about the original performance contexts of Greek theatre and how Ellen McLaughlin’s adaptations modernize the ancient source material; how the choral choreography was inspired by the iconography of ancient dance; and how original music was inspired and composed to accompany the second half of the production. A Q&A with the speakers will follow the pre-show talks.

Adapted by Ellen McLaughlin

Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com)

Estimated run time: two hours and 15 minutes, plus an intermission

All of CCM's ticketed events will have digital programs instead of printed programs. QR codes will be displayed at events to give access to the digital programs to patrons. The programs are also accessibile through the link below. Programs for events will be shared shortly before the event date.

• 8 p.m. Thursday, September 29
• 8 p.m. Friday, September 30
• 2 p.m. Saturday, October 1
• 8 p.m. Saturday, October 1
• 2 p.m. Sunday, October 2

Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village 
University of Cincinnati

Single tickets are $32.50. Student discounts and group rates are also available. Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-box office.

Learn about additional ticket options for current CCM students.

CCM is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. For detailed driving directions, visit ccm.uc.edu/directions.

Parking is available in UC's CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. 

CCM OnStage patrons can add pre-paid parking to their checkout carts when purchasing tickets. Pre-paid parking is date/performance specific. CCM Garage parking rates for a performance or special event is usually available for $10-15.

Learn more about parking at UC's CCM Garage.

For additional information on parking at UC, please visit uc.edu/about/parking.

Featured image at the top: A promotional image for Cincinnati Dionysia: Lysistrata + The Trojan Women. Designed by Mikki Graff.