Last evening I saw “Theater of War” at the U.S. Army War College, a selection of readings from two plays by Sophocles: Ajax and Philoctetes. Directed by Bryan Doerries and supported by an array of actors, it illustrates how (to quote the flyer) “these ancient plays timelessly and universally depict the psychological and de-mystify and de-stigmatize psychological injury and to facilitate open dialogue about the challenges faced by Service members, Veterans, and their families.” It’s being performed at U.S. military military installations around the country. Powerful stuff, especially the Q&A it provoked afterward. The following nine and a half minute video provides an introduction and gives some flavor of the performance and resulting discussions.
For a report on some of the early performances, see “The Anguish of War For Today’s Soldiers, Explored by Sophocles,”New York Times, Nov. 12, 2009.
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So Mark, what was your reaction? Are they onto something? Was the reading meaningful to you or to the AWC students?