The Getty calls the ancient work "a ribald and scathing theatrical assault on the entrenched military-industrial complex of Athens."
Culture Clash and director Bill Rauch will "honor the revolutionary spirit of Aristophanes in a free adaptation of his zany, utopian escapade."
Appearing alongside Culture Clash troupers will be John Fleck and Amy Hill.
According to the Getty, the not-for-profit devoted to the exploration of ancient Greek and Roman culture, "On Mount Olympus, the ogre War has imprisoned the goddess Peace and holds sway over all of Greece; meanwhile, on Earth below, three rustic patriots hatch a plot to saddle their faithful dung beetle and fly to the heavens, to engineer the goddess' rescue and restore Peace to the land."
Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, writer-actors Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siquenza (the partners of Culture Clash) "have imitated the workings of social anthropologists, digging deep into America's racial psyche to formulate their outrageous brand of satire." Peace is their second dramatic encounter with Aristophanes at the Getty Villa. Collaborating with the members of Culture Clash on this Getty-commissioned adaptation is playwright and dramaturg John Glore.
Peace is not suitable for children. A special talk with Culture Clash and John Glore, co-adapter of the play, will be held on Oct. 3.
Performances will play Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Sept. 10–Oct. 3. (Previews are Sept. 3-5.) All performances begin at 8 PM at the Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa.
The Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA, approximately 25 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. For tickets visit www.getty.edu or call (310) 440-7300.
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The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa in Malibu opened on Jan. 28, 2006, after the completion of a major renovation project. As a museum and educational center dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria, the Getty Villa serves a varied audience through exhibitions, conservation, scholarship, research, and public programs. The Villa houses approximately 44,000 works of art from the Museum's extensive collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities, of which over 1,200 are on view.
