It’s Thursday night, about six hours after my deadline for this article. In an overheated classroom in Bailey Hall on the Gorham campus, I’m watching a group of actors find ways to externalize their psyches on cue. This means that at any given moment, said actors may be making like airplanes, elephants, or horny old men.
Damn, I love this job.
Actually, that wasn’t sarcasm this time around. I’m sitting in on a rehearsal for “Lysistrata,” the play penned by Aristophanes way back in the ancient days of Greece, and there is an energy about this production that’s got me all abuzz. I’ve definitely watched my share of rehearsals up to this point, and there’s always enthusiasm in the air. There are jokes, there’s camaraderie, there are breakthroughs and breakdowns. But this production seems to have all of those things plus something more. Maybe it’s the sexual nature of the play itself; maybe it’s the fact that this is a student-directed show on the main stage at USM for the first time in five years; maybe it’s the relative youth of the cast; maybe it’s the rehearsal phalluses. Whatever the reason, it seems to me that this is a show worth getting excited about.
The premise of “Lysistrata” is that there’s this chic in Greece – Lysistrata – who’s sick of her husband being perpetually off at war. So, she gathers all of the women she can find, and they vow to withhold sex until their men agree to peace. This is definitely not a show for the kiddies; there’s strong language, adult themes, and graphic sexual references. Did I mention the rehearsal phalluses?
Beyond content, however, much of the energy of this production has to do with its direction. Ariel Francoeur, a theatre major/ancient history minor at USM, is at the helm of this USM production. A student hasn’t directed a main stage production here since 2000, which makes this a definite big deal. In addition, Francoeur is leading a cast of twelve on a journey many have never taken before. The cast is largely new to the USM stage, with five freshman in the ranks and several other actors beyond that who’ve never done a show here before. Francoeur doesn’t seem disheartened by her cast’s lack of experience, however, noting instead how willingly the actors have followed her direction. “This play is definitely one where you have to lose a lot of inhibitions, and they’re willing to trust me and just let go.”
Not that there’s no reason to trust the USM senior. Francoeur has directed three other productions, including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” back in high school, and “Mocking All” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” at USM. This is her largest endeavor, however, and “by far the most money I’ve had to work with, which frees things up.” While the play is student-directed, faculty are in charge of set design and lighting, something that has helped to ease Francoeur’s mind so that she can focus more completely on her role as director.
In addition to being student-directed, an original score has been composed by music major Angus McFarland, also in his final year at USM. When working on the music, McFarland notes that, rather than letting history dictate his choices, “it was more important for us to get something that… has the right kind of effect theatrically.” The music will be performed by a floutist and a guitarist, as well as two chorus members.
On this particular evening, after several dances have been rehearsed, Francoeur announces a break, giving me an opportunity to talk to the actors. I’m sitting at one of the requisite simulated-wood classroom desks, pen and paper in hand. A couple of the actors approach hesitantly. Then a couple more. I ask some questions. Soon, I’m surrounded by actors – sitting at desks, on the floor, leaning against the wall, or against each other. And here, ultimately, is the reason that this rehearsal is different: In directing this, Francoeur has managed to forge a genuine bond among the cast. Because they are new to the stage, they lack the self-conscious posturing of more highly-trained actors. These guys let it hang out with a freshness that’s contagious: They lounge, they laugh, they finish each other’s sentences, so that it’s damned near impossible to figure out exactly where a quote has come from.
When asked if it is different to be working with a student director, there is a unanimous “No.” Watching Francoeur run the rehearsal, I can understand why. Though she is young, she carries an undeniable air of authority about her. When actors begin to lose focus, she brings them to task with the confidence of a seasoned pro. This is not a woman worried about being liked. Which means, of course, that the cast loves her. “Ariel rocks!” seems to be a mantra here. Cast member Jae Rodriguez, a junior, notes, “She makes us explore the psyche in a way that we never have.” USM sophomore and fellow cast member Michele Lee details the way Francoeur has brought ancient Greece to life for the actors: “She describes the scent, the sky, the feel of the air…” The result is a cast that seems singularly comfortable with not only each other and some seriously risqu? subject matter, but with the time period in which they’re working.
“She has us try to tie the theme into things we can relate to,” notes sophomore Mia Perron. While “Lysistrata” is undeniably sexual in nature, the theme itself is related to the dynamics of a society at war, something that resonates particularly well at this time in the U.S. Cast member Jill Clayburgh calls the play “A beautiful exercise in free speech, and an opportunity to make a political statement on the main stage,” while fellow actor Josie Lord qualifies that by saying the play has the ability to “convey something important without scaring people off, by using humor.”
And there’s definitely humor aplenty. So whether you pack up and head out to Russell Hall for the political statement, the energy, the sexy dances, or the rehearsal phalluses, the bottom line here is: Pack up and head out to Russell Hall. Keep the kids and the old folks at home, and make a beeline for the main stage this February. A theatrical experience like none other awaits you.