In the days of Ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta enjoyed fighting on the battlefield about the way rival schools today enjoy fighting on the football field. But—according to the great writer of comedy, Aristophanes—the women of Athens hated the idea. One Athenian woman (according to Aristophanes) did something about it: she organized a love strike; all the women agreed to withhold their love from their men until the men agreed to stop fighting. Aristophanes named one of his greatest comedies after her—Lysistrata.

Charles Avery felt that Aristophanes' 2500-year-old idea has a special significance for young people today. Instead of war, he uses a schoolboy prank as the motivation for the conflict in his play: A group of senior boys (perhaps at your high school) nominate a particularly unattractive, unpopular girl as Homecoming Queen. The more mature, levelheaded students are incensed at the silliness of the prank and the hurt it causes the girl involved. One of the class leaders, Lissa Stratton, decides to do something about it. She has just read Lysistrata in literature class, and she thinks the same strategy will work today. Lissa persuades the other girls to refuse all mixing, mingling, and fraternization with the senior boys until they apologize and promise to stop their childishness. "That means no holding hands, kissing, dating, making out, or generally what the office calls Public Displays of Affection," Lissa explains. It's not easy to persuade all the girls to join in the strike—especially girls like "romantic" Ellen—but they all finally agree. The boys take the strike lightly at first, but when they discover the girls are serious, they begin to plot a counter-attack, led by super-jock Chic Miller. The boys maintain that men will always rule the world. The girls say, "No way!" But the prom is coming up...!

Fun songs, fun characters (some productions even had teachers), and a cleverly devised plot make this a happy choice for high school and junior high theatres.

Two acts. Set, high school student lounge; Costumes, modern clothes; Time, today.

Another Avery play: The Seven Ages of Dan

See also: Plays About Personal Relationships