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A worldwide Theatrical Event for Peace took place on 03/03/03 as theatre artists from every corner of the planet raised their collective voice by producing readings of Aristophanes' comic play Lysistrata. The ancient masterwork - both satire and prayer - rendered a spiritual thunderclap around the globe that night, raising the volume of war opposition which existed in the weeks prior to the eventual bombing and occupation of Iraq. 1,029 official readings were held in 59 countries on six continents. The intriguing template of the event Lysistrata Project was birthed by theatre artists Kathryn Blume & Sharron Bower in New York City, and quickly blossomed into a global bouquet.

In the greater Bay Area of California, UTB brought an epic production (featuring a cast of 100) to the stage of Berkeley Rep which played twice in one night with 1200 audience members in attendence. The event awarded the Bay Area Critics Circle Award and the money raised at the event was tithed to the work of Not In Our Name, Amnesty International, MoveOn.org and Lysistrata Project NYC. The event is now celebrated on screen in the documentary Operation Lysistrata.

UTB assembled a cast of Bay Area actors from the American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Aurora Theatre Company and Porchlight Theatre Company among other companies. The beguiling vocalists Constance Doolan & Katy Stephan partnered with the dynamic drum ensemble The Sons & Daughters of Orpheus to create a whirl of dance, choral chant and high theatrical revelry.

"On Monday, in more than a thousand readings around the world...in living rooms, theaters, libraries, classrooms, 'Make Love Not War' was the lusty message. The largest, showiest and probably most somber of the readings [was presented by Upon These Boards]. Two sold-out houses...a cast of 100 noted actors, musicians, singers....aptly silly, stately, supple, insistent. Aside from Aristophanes, Stuart may have gotten off the best line of the day; introducing the production at Berkeley Rep, he offered this aphorism: “Let us all run into this crowded fire – and cry ‘Theater!’" - San Francisco Chronicle

Link to the San Francisco Chronicle feature story and also our production's photo in Newsweek.

Within a tribe of many of the Bay Area's finest stage actors, the cast of 100 took to the stage, including:

Lorri Holt, Domenique Lozano, JoAnne Winter, Marco Barricelli, Barbara Oliver, Gregory Wallace, Steven Anthony Jones, Rene Augesen, Deborah Sussel, David Warren Keith, Hector Correa, Anni Long, Owen Murphy, Kay Kostopolous, Robert Sicular, Molly Noble, Terry Lamb, Howard Dillon, Karl Hanover, Lauren Grace, Jennifer LeBlanc, Alison Strahan, Amy Wieczorek, Torange Yeghiazarian & so many more great actors, musicians and volunteer artisans (a cast of 100+).