News Release

Ottawa reading of Ancient Greek Anti-War Play Lysistratra

Featuring: Michael Harris, CFRA, City Councillor Alex Cullen, local actors, musicians

Scheduled for Monday March 3, 2003

A reading of the 2,300 year old Greek comedy Lysistrata will take place on Monday, March 3, 2003 at St. Giles Church, 174 First Ave., at 8:00pm. The local play reading is part of the international Lysistrata Project. Theatre artists and activists from New York to San Francisco, from Munich, Germany to Athens, Greece, and many more (496 readings in 37 countries as of today) are raising their collective voice in protest against possible war with Iraq by producing anti-war readings on the same day. The readings comprise a theatrical act of dissent that has become the first-ever world wide theatrical event for peace.

Written by ancient Greek dramatist Aristophanes (c. 447 – 385 b.c.e.), Lysistrata tells the story of a group of women from opposing city-states who unite in Athens to end the Peloponnesian War. After matronly “stormtroopers” take over the building where the public treasury is kept, the women rise up to end the war by withholding sex from their mates – until desperate for intimacy, the men finally agree to lay down their swords and find a way to achieve peace through diplomacy.

Lysistrata Project has four major goals:

1) To make the Bush administration aware of the growing public opposition to war on Iraq.

2) To provide events where citizens can unite to enjoy an evening of spirited, comedic theatre while raising public awareness about the raising volume of war opposition.

3) To provide a humourous entrée into a healthy community dialogue: What CAN we do on a local level to stop “diplomacy by violence” in our world?

4) To raise money for organizations that work for peace and human rights.

Proceeds from the Ottawa reading will benefit the Peace and Environmental Resource Centre, a resource for local activists and the public, and Amnesty International, the internationally known agents for human rights.

Lysistrata Project was conceived by New York actor Kathryn Blume, who says, “I wanted to organize a reading of Lysistrata in New York as a benefit for humanitarian organizations working in Iraq. As I shared the idea with friends, it snowballed. Before I knew it, we were producing an international grassroots peace movement by uniting the voices of theatre artists throughout the world.” Project co-founder, New York actor Sharron Bower adds, “ The response from those in politically unstable countries has been very moving. Some of them will hold their readings in the privacy of their living rooms to avoid danger. But they tell us it is worth the risk to be a part of this movement of hope.”

Tickets for the Ottawa reading of Lysistrata are available for a suggested donation of $ 5.00, and may be purchased at the door. For more information or to reserve seats, please call

Jonquil Garrick-Reynolds at 613-673-8827 or by emailing jakerooer@yahoo.ca

Information about the international Lysistrata Project is available at www.lysistrataproject.com