2001 Season - Genesius Guild

Aristophanes: "The Acharnians" August 11, 12, 18, 19

This is Aristophanes’ earliest surviving play. It was produced in Athens during the sixth year of the Peloponnesian War, during the Festival of Lenaia, early in 425 B.C.E. The central character, Dikaiopolis (“just city or citizen”), is tired of the war and ready to make peace with the Spartans on his own. It almost defies reason to think that such a play, which seems to justify the Spartans, could have won first prize in a competition during a life and death struggle with that city. But win it did, and it was not the last time Aristophanes would successfully satirize Athen’s wartime leaders and aims.

The text for this play will not be written until shortly before the play is staged. It will preserve the general structure of the original, but everything else will be changed. The characters who populate Aristophanes’ creation will be replaced by contemporary characters or types. Only a few central characters will remain in the script.

The most likely:

Dikaiopolis, a rural type shut up behind Athens long walls for the duration of the war. His decision to make a separate peace treaty with the Spartans is the play’s central act. His opening monologue sets the tone.

Lamachos, a military leader in Athens

Olympos, roughly speaking, an Athenian (pagan) evangelist

Shambyses, a Persian seer

Chorus of aged male charcoal-burners from Acharnai (Archarnians)

The plot may take strange turns and there will definitely be a female chorus to balance or supplement or annoy the play’s male chorus.

Songs and dances may be interpolated at random.

The purpose of this rendering of the Greek comedy is to celebrate the spirit, if not the letter, of the original. This particular play may be stretched in many ways to accommodate those who wish to be in it and the needs of the plot as it zig-zags in development. It will also poke fun at the guild’s more serious summer productions.