Lysistrata. N. Kasatkina’s Jubilee Event. The State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov
State Kremlin Palace
The Kremlin, The State Kremlin Palace
Moscow,
103132
RU
74956207846
Lysistrata. N. Kasatkina’s Jubilee Event. The State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov
О. Petrova
«LYSISTRATA»
2-act ballet.
Staging and choreography by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov.
Libretto by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov based on the comedy by Aristophanes.
Stage design and costumes: E. Dvorkina, Honored Artist of Russia, and Musa Sokolova.
Lysistrata is an immortal comedy by antic author Aristophanes, where the women led by wise Lysistrata decide to put the war to an end in rather a cunning way, namely, they refuse to perform their marital duties to their husbands… When faced with the choice between love and war, the men resign themselves to love.
Act I
Scene 1
Pluto, the god of humor (probably, in the first staging this role was performed by Aristophanes himself) introduces the main characters of the comedy presented as deities, both big and small. Further on, he will lead the ballet and assume very different looks. Pluto announces Komos – a traditional Greek carnival festival. Here is Lysistrata herself in the role of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, Myrrhine and Cinesias appear as Satyr and Nymph, Lampito turns into Themis, the goddess of justice, Thedrius strikes the fire in the role of Hephaistos, and Leonidas, the main character of the comedy, Prometheus, steals this fire and gives it to miserable humans shivering from cold.
The festival finishes with the parade of deities.
Pluto – now he is Perseus – scares everyone with the cut head of Gorgon. The characters take their costumes off and …
Scene 2 begins
Pluto transforms into Eros, the god of love. During the love games between the girls and the lads, Lysistrata and Leonidas fall in love with each other; they exchange marital wreaths, but…
Scene 3 begins
Pluto as Ares, the god of war, starts a battle. All the men fight fiercely, having left their girlfriends lonely. The women suffer as their beloved ones have left all their forces on the battlefield and they are too tired to make love.
The Trojan horse appears. The battle reaches its peak and…
Scene 4 begins
Pluto appears as Hades, the god of death, and, accompanied by sorrowful weeping of Lysistrata, Myrrhine, Lampito and Koniki sees the fallen heroes off to the realm of the dead. The brave warriors have been crippled and have left their wives for good. The women implore Pluto to make a miracle and to return the men to life. Pluto cannot resist their supplications, but no sooner have they woken up from the dead, the bullies begin to fight again. The women are in despair.
Act 2
Scene 1
The women led by Lysistrata swear to reject men’s caresses until they are done with the war. Rogue girls creatively entice the men under their spell, but they leave them empty-handed at the very last moment. The men are tortured, but their wives are adamant. Nevertheless, they do suffer without their loved ones as well. They are ready to riot, and then…
Scene 2 begins
Assisted by Pluto – this time disguised as the God of Fashion - Lysistrata launches an ancient-style fashion show. The men are enchanted and are ready to surrender, yet…
Scene 3 begins
Leonidas involves them in the fight again. Even the most dovish Cinesias is imposed to join the warriors. Once again the Trojan horse comes into play and then…
During Scene 4
Lysistrata herself ventures to calm down Leonidas, the biggest bully. He fails to resist the charm of the beautiful lady, and…
During Scene 5
Other warriors follow Leonidas to lay down their arms at the feet of their girl-friends.
The performance is concluded by the Silence Nymph, and this is yet another image of Pluto.