Wish it were Lilith

Thesmo Phair

Through March 2

Directed by Michael Cassidy

Pitt Repertory…

Thesmo Phair

Through March 2

Directed by Michael Cassidy

Pitt Repertory Theater

Studio Theater

(412) 624-7529

Greek comedy and pop music collide in Pitt Repertory Theater’s “Thesmo Phair.” In fact, they come close to a head-on collision. “Thesmo Phair” is an adaptation of David R. Slavitt’s translation of “Thesmophoriazusae” by Aristophanes.

The play opens with Euripides, a Kid Rock-type star, giving a concert complete with fog, erratic lighting and go-go dancers. Best Mate, his brother-in-law who bears a resemblance to Eminem, is on sound. After the concert, we learn that the women of Thesmo Phair, an all-female concert with Sarah McLachlan, India.Arie, and Alanis Morissette set to perform, will be meeting to decide what measures they should take against Euripides for his misogynistic song lyrics. With Best Mate at his side, Euripides goes to RuPaul for help. He pleads with RuPaul to attend Thesmo Fair and speak up on his behalf. When RuPaul refuses, fearing the women will think he really did change genders, Best Mate agrees to do it instead.

With blond pigtails, shaved legs, a belly shirt and his manhood taped firmly between his legs, Best Mate attends Thesmo Phair. He champions Euripides with Britney Spears’ “Oops … I Did it Again,” a song that does not win the ladies over. The escapades continue as Best Mate is found out. Euripides tries to save his dear brother-in-law by donning the personages of Ja Rule, then Enrique Iglesias to convince everyone that Best Mate is, in fact, a woman and his love. But they easily see through these weak attempts, that is, until the irresistible Tom Jones comes along, stealing center stage and the attention of men and women alike.

The musical numbers are lively and upbeat, combining comedy and satire as they poke fun at prominent music icons. A well-choreographed rendition of “Kiss” is given by Andy Halus and a sensational performance of RuPaul’s “Supermodel” is lip-synched by Sentell Elijah Harper. Both performers brought energy to their songs with fluid body movements and a sense that they were genuinely having fun. Hats off to Harper for dancing in heels better than I can.

As for the adaptation itself, I was once told that you could tell when a playwright doesn’t know what to say because he swears a lot in his script. It seems to me that Michael Cassidy and Colleen Reilly had this very problem with “Thesmo Phair.” Slavitt’s translation is genuinely funny, making current jokes and references for today’s audience, while employing raunchy humor and the intermittent use of “son of a bitch” and “f—.” Although Cassidy and Reilly retain a nice portion of the original lines and attempt to preserve the key themes in the play, the profanity they have added seems overdone and often gets in the way of the dialogue. By the second act, it loses most of its shock value and humor. By the end, I was utterly sick of it.

Their adaptation cuts some of the funniest material in the translation: The monologues about the naughty things wives do behind their husbands’ backs. Because they center so much on McLachlan’s, India.Arie’s, Morissette and the other characters’ performance numbers, it often feels like the dialogue’s only purpose is to lead us into the music. I am disappointed that Cassidy and Reilly did not include many of the moments that make this play the witty comedy it is.

If you are familiar with pop music and like a good comedy with plenty of swearing, “Thesmo Phair” is definitely for you. Just don’t read the translation first if you want to enjoy it.