Since 2008, Theater of War has presented readings of Sophocles' Ajax and Philoctetes to military communities across the United States. These ancient plays timelessly and universally depict the psychological and physical wounds inflicted upon warriors by war. By presenting these plays to military audiences, our hope is to de-stigmatize psychological injury and open a safe space for dialogue about the challenges faced by service members, veterans, and their caregivers and families.

It has been suggested that ancient Greek drama was a form of storytelling, communal therapy, and ritual reintegration for combat veterans by combat veterans. Sophocles himself was a general. At the time Aeschylus wrote and produced his famous Oresteia, Athens was at war on six fronts. The audiences for whom these plays were performed were undoubtedly comprised of citizen-soldiers. Also, the performers themselves were most likely veterans or cadets. Seen through this lens, ancient Greek drama appears to have become elaborate ritual aimed at helping combat veterans return to civilian life after deployments during a century that saw 80 years of war.

Ajax tells the story of a fierce warrior who slips into a depression near the end of The Trojan War, attempts to murder his commanding officers, fails, and takes his own life. It is also the story of how his wife and troops attempt to intervene before it's too late. Philoctetes is a psychologically complex tragedy about a famous Greek warrior who is marooned on a deserted island by his army after contracting a horrifying and debilitating illness.

Plays like Sophocles' Ajax and Philoctetes read like textbook descriptions of wounded warriors, struggling under the weight of psychological and physical injuries to maintain their dignity, identity, and honor. Given this context, it seemed natural that military audiences today might have something to teach us about the impulses behind these ancient stories. It also seemed like these ancient stories would have something important and relevant to say to military audiences.

Over the past year, we have enjoyed the privilege of working with film and stage actors such as Paul Giamatti, Terrence Howard, David Strathairn, Michael Ealy, Lili Taylor, Jesse Eisenberg, Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Jay O. Sanders, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Gloria Reuben, Jeffrey Wright, Tamara Tunie, Charles S. Dutton, Keith David, Jennifer Mudge and John Ventimiglia in readings of Ajax and Philoctetes for the U.S. Marine Corps, West Point cadets, homeless veterans, Army bases, and the Department of Defense. Each reading has been followed by a town hall style audience discussion, which has been facilitated with the help of military community members. These have been arresting, emotionally-charged events, in which service members have spoken openly about their experiences in combat and at home. Based on the success of the project, Theater of War Productions has recently been awarded a contract with the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) and will be presenting 100 performances for military audiences nationwide at military sites, suicide prevention conferences, service academies, war colleges, and medical schools. We look forward to learning from the military audiences, veterans, and their caregivers and families about what these plays actually mean and why they were written.

Bryan Doerries
Director/Translator

Bryan Doerries is a New York based writer, translator, director, and educator. He is the founder of Theater of War, a project that presents readings of ancient Greek plays to service members, veterans, caregivers and families as a catalyst for town hall discussions about the challenges faced by combat veterans today. Over the past year, Bryan has directed film and stage actors such as Paul Giamatti, Isiah Whitlock Jr., David Strathairn, Lili Taylor, Charles S. Dutton, Gloria Reuben, and Jeffrey Wright in readings of his translations of Sophocles’ Ajax and Philoctetes for military communities. His other recent theatrical projects include Prometheus in Prison, which presents Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound to corrections professionals to engage them in conversations about custody and reentry, and End of Life, which presents Sophocles' Women of Trachis to palliative care and hospice workers to engage them in dialogue with other medical professionals about medical ethics and pain management. In addition to his work in the theater, Bryan serves as program adviser for the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and lectures on his work at colleges and universities.

Phyllis Kaufman
Producer

Phyllis Kaufman is a New York based producer and lawyer with an expertise in social impact-oriented entertainment that combines traditional and digital media. She is the producer of Theater of War, a project that presents readings of ancient Greek plays to service members, veterans, caregivers and families as a catalyst for town hall discussions about the challenges faced by combat veterans today. Her other recent theatrical projects include her producing collaboration with Bryan Doerries on Prometheus in Prison, and End of Life. Ms. Kaufman's interest in the power of traditional and digital media has also led her to careers as Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, a producer of feature and documentary films, and, most recently, a partner in the media/entertainment practice group of a New York-based law firm. Ms. Kaufman also serves on the advisory boards of several nonprofit organizations.

Casting

Casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee. Casting Associates: Allison Estrin and Rich Delia.