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Lisistrati |
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Kaparelli 1995
Narrator-- Good evening to everybody.. Aristofanis-- an ancient Greek author -- has written this story of Lisistrati we are going to perform you tonight... the story tells us how all the women in ancient Athens obliged all the men to stop the war .. In the ancient times every town had an Acropolis - a hill with a tall wall all around it - .. The walls had one gate only in such a way that as far it was closed nobody could enter .
Lisistrati-- This situation cannot continue like this for a long time ..All the men have gone , they have left homes , old men , women , children and they have gone to be killed in the fights.. When the war is over, those remaining alive and coming back , are leaving again some time later because another war is going to begin.. we must do something ... here and now ... I found it... I will inform one woman in each town and all together will see what we are going to do .. Woman 1.-- Lisistrati , tell us the reason why we are all gathered here today Lisistrati-- Women, we must stop the men from doing their military service.. Woman 2.-- In which way it will be done and who will go to fight? Lisistrati-- This is exactly my plan .......no war anymore..... Our husbands won't leave us so we should have a good company and help in our household.. Woman 3.-- I agree with all those Lisistrati says All the women-- And I agree ......and I agree....me too... me too... Lisistrati-- Come here to swear altogether..[ they put a jug of wine in the middle ] All the women-- We will get enclosed in the Acropolis and we won't come out from there unless the last soldier comes back and the war stops. [ Lisistrati says slowly slowly and the other women repeat touching the jug ] Narrator-- A few days later in all the towns and the villages only old men and children were left.....nowhere could you see woman......for this reason all the old men were gathered to discuss what they were going to do... Old man 1.-- The children are crying in the roads alone , without their mammies all the houses are dirty , there is not any food to eat and we don't know how to cook......we must find a way to oblige them to go out... Old man 2-- To put on fire under the Acropolis and afterwards we shall see what they will do when the smoke goes up and they start coughing..........shall they go out or not ?.. Woman 3.-- Water, bring water quickly to wet them..... Old men-- O my God we will be cooked like ducks....hurry up... Old man 1.-- Companions wait for me , I have a bad limp and I can't run ..........wait.........wait for me...... Old man 2.-- We must think of something else... Old man 1.-- We should call the police ; maybe they can help us... Policemen-- Come on , all the women , go to your houses...go out immediately , otherwise the police will punish you.... Lisistrati-- { she comes out the gate } Who is this that threatens ... I am calling all the women now and we will see.......... women come on ... start hitting them on their heads.. Policemen-- Oh Oh the broom- dusters slowly , please.... Narrator-- In this way the policemen got a good beating and went far away..... The women returned and were enclosed into the walls again... But the situation was not good in the Acropolis.....A few women missed their homes , their husbands and started to go out secretly.. Lisistrati-- The agreement with the men must be done very quick, because I can see that our strike is finishing soon Kinisias-- [ shouting ] Woman, come out..... Lisistrati-- Go out and tell him that you will go with him , only , if all the men return from the war........ Kinisias-- My dear Mirini , come back home... don't you worry about your child that is crying ? Well , I returned from the war......Isn't this exactly what you wanted ? Mirini-- Ah.. it's not enough , only one from all of you .........go and tell all the men to come back.....If you don't promises Peace, no one of us is going to go out of Acropolis .. Kinisias- What can we do now ? Ah .. my God ... these women ! ! ! Postman-- [ he brings a letter and he reads it ] “Women are on strike in all towns to stop men from the war…” Kinisias-- I must speak to the army.... women have right.....all men leave work , houses , children and go to the war without a second thought in their mind... Men-- [ holding flowers and throwing away the swords are going to the Acropolis ] “We don't go to the war again ...... Women come down........”
Women -- The strike was been successful... Hurrah for Lisistrati... Hurrah for Peace... Hurrah for Men...
{ all together embraced ... singing and dancing now ..}
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