Long Beach Playhouse to Open Studio Season with LYSISTRATA

The Long Beach Playhouse opens its Studio season with Lysistrata, the classic Greek story of women using sex to control the men.

"It's a comical account of one woman on a mission to end the Peloponnesian War," said Andrew Vonderschmitt, Executive and Producing Artistic Director for the Playhouse.

"It was written by Aristophanes and first performed in classical Athens in 411 BC.

Considering the play is 2,227 years, it's amazing how current the themes seem to us today. Lust, power struggles, war - some things never change."

The play is a raucous account of a young woman named Lysistrata who devises a plan to keep the men from going to war. She convinces the other women the one thing men like even better than war is sex. And if they band together with a sex-strike, maybe they can force a peace treaty to be signed.

The production is directed by James Rice, a Playhouse veteran of many years. His most recent show at the Playhouse was last year's Hay Fever on the Mainstage.

The 13-member cast is a mix of debut performances and actors returning to the Playhouse stage. Lysistrata is portrayed by LaVanna Atkinson-Williams who was seen in last year's production of Bat Boy. Returning favorites include Mitchell and Jane Nunn, Skip Blas, Steve Shane, Tyler Gray, and Dean Figone. Making their Playhouse debuts are: Lauren Velasco, Mystie Galloway, Ximara Ossorio, Stephani Keith, and Meredith Miranda.

Matt Fanta is returning as fight choreographer. He worked on three Studio shows last year including Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, which was one of the season's most popular productions.

Lysistrata runs from April 30 until May 28, 2016

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THIS PLAY:

• Pay what you can Thursday April 28
• Two for One Preview Friday April 29- Tickets are $12.00
• Opening Night Champagne Reception with cast on April 30 - Tickets are $27.00

Adults are $20.00 on regular Fridays and $24.00 for Saturday and Sundays, seniors $21.00, and Students $14.00.

Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling 562-494-1014, option 1.

To request an interview with the director, cast members or reserve your media tickets to this performance, please send an email to: pr@lbplayhouse.org.

Long Beach Playhouse is located at 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA, 90804, right across from the Long Beach Recreation golf course. The Playhouse is community-supported theatre with programs and events that cut across age, gender, ethnic, and cultural boundaries.

Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The box office is open Wednesday-Saturday from 3:00-8:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00-2:00 pm on scheduled matinees.