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Theatre in the Woods goes Greek: 'The Frogs' headed for the forest

by Renee Batti

Is ancient Greek theater too challenging for modern audiences? Director Stuart Bousel doesn't think so, particularly when the play in question is "wrapped in a flashy package of sex jokes, physical humor, and low-brow antics that make the philosophical musings and cultural critique easier to swallow. ... "

That play would be Aristophanes' "The Frogs," which Mr. Bousel will direct in the forested hills above Woodside in this summer's Theatre in the Woods production. The play will run Saturdays and Sundays from Aug. 1 through Sept. 6.

Performances begin at 1 p.m., and playgoers are invited to picnic on the private grounds before the play from noon on. Then, audience members will hike along several trails to get to the various stages set up in the woods.

The Greek comedy, first performed in 405 B.C., was adapted for the modern stage by Mr. Bousel. It tells of the journey of Dionysus — god of wine, revelry and theater — to the Underworld, where he hoped to retrieve the playwright Euripides and return him to Athens.

But once there, Dionysus finds himself asked to judge a contest between Euripides and Aeschylus, forcing him to reconsider which playwright he will take back with him to the world of the living.

The overriding theme, "the death of 'high art' at the hands of popular entertainment, has hardly ceased to be a hot topic of debate," Mr. Bousel says in his director's statement.

"Watching 'The Frogs' now," he says, "one can't help but wonder what Aristophanes would have thought of the current celebrity craze, reality television and general society's continued preference for that which panders to them over that which challenges them."

Tickets are $20, general; $15 for seniors, students and members; and $10 for the Aug. 1 preview performance. They can be purchased through the theater company's Web site, atmostheatre.com.

Theatre in the Woods is at 2170 Bear Gulch Road in Woodside.