Sunday, November 23, 2008

Lysistrata's Children: A Comedy about War & Peace

Name of event: Lysistrata's Children 
Organizer & location of event: Theater for the New City


Lysistrata's Children begins with a 4th of July parade in which the history of the United States as seen through war - WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the War on Terror - is presented.  The main character notices this overwhelming theme and shares her concerns with her friends. They begin to question the meaning of war and whether it is truly necessary. After coming to the conclusion that it is not, they begin to explore ways to end it. The youth eventually decide that asking their parents to sign an "Oath of Victory Over Violence," which states that peaceful action and dialogue be the response to differences rather than violence, is the solution. In denying their parents any form of excitement and love, the youth are successful.  

One of the most powerful scenes consisted of the children role-playing acts of violence/war.  The loud drums and the repetitive nature of the acts of violence expressed just how choreographed and strategic war really is. While seeing the youth act this out, I was reminded that there are children in other countries who fight and kill daily.  Sharing this kind of information and/or going to see such a production as this is such a great tool. Discussing such issues and really delving into them is key for students. As an educator, I want desperately for my students to become critical thinkers and mindful citizens of the world. Although at times it may prove difficult, denying them such knowledge as seen in this production is detrimental to their growth as such individuals; it is so important that they be exposed to, that they critically think about, and question such acts and issues. 

1 comment:

Jung M Cha said...

I watched this play with Una and I was very impressed by how children were expressing their concerns about the violence and the war. As I watched this play, I began to question about how I would introduce the issues of wars and the conflicts to my students.
Since it’s a controversial topic to discuss, I feel like I need to have a better knowledge and be aware of how students will respond and their feelings to this issue that is still going on in our generation. I also thought that role play of the characters made it more realistic for students to understand and reflect on the critical issue.