Research Guides: Lysistrata: Streaming Video

Streaming

Anti-War Literature in Performance (Aristophanes, Melville, Pirandello).”
Aristophanes uses the metaphor of thread to describe a woman's feelings towards war. Listen to Agnes Moorehead and Tim O'Connor perform a scene between Lysistrata and the magistrate.
more...less...
“Anti-War Literature in Performance (Aristophanes, Melville, Pirandello).” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 1962, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=95564&xtid=128210. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021.
The Gods Are Laughing: Aristophanes, His Life and Theatre.
As irreverent and bawdy as Aristophanes, but with more accessible humor, this pseudo-biography juxtaposes elements of Aristophanic plays with the activities of contemporaneous people to show how Aristophanes became the father of political satire and why his theatrical innovations are still staples of the contemporary theater. Aristophanes is shown as an artist living on the edge, who uses comedy to mock his enemies and wages a one-man campaign against those Athenians who revel in war and death; he is set off against his son, who wants to write to entertain; a coldly rational Socrates; Cephisophon, the Laurence Olivier of ancient Greece; the dictator, Cleon; and Aristophanes’ skeptical mother, who prefers tragedy to comedy. Caution: contains sexual situations. (52 minutes)
more...less...
“The Gods Are Laughing: Aristophanes, His Life and Theatre.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 1995, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=95564&xtid=6125. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021.
Greek Drama: From Ritual to Theater.
Why do plays well over two millennia old still speak to audiences today? This program traces Greek theater from ancient harvest rites to the golden age of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. Key scenes from Antigone, Oedipus Tyrannus, Medea, and Lysistrata show how these works remain relevant by exploring the timeless themes of honor, class, gender, sexuality, and politics. Essential concepts such as catharsis, hamartia, and the use of masks and a chorus are discussed. Scholarly commentary by Helene Foley of Barnard College, Jeffrey Henderson of Boston University, Princeton University’s Robert Fagles, and Peter Meineck of NYU’s Aquila Theatre Company emphasizes the vitality of classical drama and the essential role it played in the everyday lives of the ancient Greeks. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (57 minutes)
more...less...
“Greek Drama: From Ritual to Theater.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2001, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=95564&xtid=11790. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021.
Lysistrata: A Feature Film of Aristophanes' Masterpiece.
This is the feature film of Lysistrata, Aristophanes' shocking comic masterpiece, that won Remi Gold at the Houston International Film Festival. The production features Candace Janee as Lysistrata, Heather Gault as Stratyllis, Morgan Marcum as Myrine, and Tanya Rodina (Miss Ukraine) as the Goddess Peace. This production has the benefit of setting the comic scenes in the ancient Greek locations that are hinted at in the drama but which are hard for modern audiences to imagine, such as using the interior of the Parthenon for the scenes where Lysistrata outwits the Official.
more...less...
“Lysistrata: A Feature Film of Aristophanes' Masterpiece.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2017, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=95564&xtid=274616. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021.
Lysistrata: Female Power and Democracy
This PBS documentary about ancient archetypes reveals much about the forces that hold women back and which undermined Hillary Clinton’s campaigns. Themed around Aristophanes’ timeless comic masterpiece about a sex strike and a power grab, the program reveals much about the ancient forces still impacting current political thought. Interviews include Jane Fonda, Katrina vanden Heuvel, Carol Jenkins, Senator Liz Krueger, Katha Pollitt, Norma Kamali, the Dean of Hofstra Drama James Kalb, Yale Greek drama scholar Victor Bers, Elizabeth Scharffenberger from Columbia, Mary English from Montclair State (on the role of women), and Jeffrey Hurwit.
more...less...
“Lysistrata: Female Power and Democracy.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2016, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=95564&xtid=274613. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021.
Lysistrata Staging: No Sex Without Peace
This is the popular complete 2006 staging of Aristophanes' shocking comic masterpiece that was excerpted in the PBS documentary with Jane Fonda — Lysistrata: Female Power and Democracy. The staging features Iris McQuillan-Grace in the title role and a talented ensemble cast and shows why sexual politics are timelessly funny. Originally produced in 2006 and remastered in HD in 2016.
more...less...
“Lysistrata Staging: No Sex Without Peace.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2016, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=95564&xtid=274612. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021.
Women in Classical Greek Drama
They gave their names to some of the most memorable plays in Western history, and, thousands of years later, they are still very much a presence in contemporary culture. Who were the women of classical Greek drama? In this program, the presentation of powerful women in Medea, Antigone, and Lysistrata is contrasted with the circumscribed role of women in Athenian society by Princeton University’s Froma Zeitlin; Helene Foley, of Barnard College; Jeffrey Henderson, of Boston University; Robin Mitchell-Boyask, of Temple University; Mary-Kay Gamel, of the University of California, Santa Cruz; and Peter Meineck, producing artistic director of the critically and academically acclaimed Aquila Theatre Company. Film clips from notable productions support this in-depth discussion of women and their representation in ancient Greece. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (38 minutes)
more...less...
“Women in Classical Greek Drama.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2003, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=95564&xtid=31128. Accessed 17 Nov. 2021.