How an ancient Greek play being staged in Greeley taps into some intense post-election vibes
Description
Of all the responses to the results of last week’s presidential election, one of the most unusual involves something called the 4B movement.
It calls for women to cut off or limit their contact with men. That includes dating, marriage, childbirth – and physical affections.
The 4B movement started a few years ago in South Korea, but gained attention on social media in the U.S. after Election Day. Some women equated president-elect Donald Trump's victory to a low point for women's rights — and said they’re cutting off relationships with men.
But women withholding physical contact from men is not a new idea. It's the subject of the Greek comedy Lysistrata by the playwright Aristophanes, which was first staged more than 2,400 years ago. The female characters in the play withhold their affections to protest a war, and it ultimately leads to peace and harmony.
Lysistrata is being performed through Sunday at the Ed Beaty Hall Theater on the Aims Community College campus in Greeley.
The show's director, Benjamin Kessler, spoke with ITN’s Erin O’Toole about why this production is a conversation starter that taps into the current political mood in potent ways.
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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.
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