About the project
The Dionysus Project
Dramatic Reading of The Bacchae, by Euripides
Translated and Directed by Bryan Doerries
The Dionysus Project is an innovative public health project that presents readings of scenes from Euripides' Bacchae, an ancient Greek play about the destructive power of intoxication, as a catalyst for town hall discussions about the impact of substance abuse and addiction upon individuals, families, and communities. The project uses an ancient Greek tragedy, written nearly 2500 years ago, to engage audiences in crucial discussions about the timelessness of the human struggle with substance abuse and addiction, as well as resources and solutions that communities can utilize today.
Referring to Agaue murdering her son in a state of intoxication, a clinical pharmacist from Pikeville Medical Center said, “I see that every single day. The babies in the NICU…it’s so sad. Probably fifty percent are suffering withdrawals.
About the play
-
The Bacchae by Euripides
First produced in 405 BC, Euripides' Bacchae tells the ancient story of the arrival of Dionysus, the god of wine and intoxication, in Greece. When Dionysus comes to the city of Thebes, he liberates the people from their homes, sending the citizens - dancing and drinking - into the hills. A young king, named Pentheus, tries to subdue the revelry and restore order to his city, waging an all-out war against the god. But when Pentheus first tastes the drug that has ravaged his city, he too succumbs to its power and is murdered by his own mother, in a deranged state of intoxication.
The Dionysus Project Highlights
The Dionysus Project Trailer
Full performance video
The Greene Space WNYC & WQXR / 2018
Explore Projects
-
Addiction & Substance AbuseRum and VodkaThis project presents a one-man Irish play about a 24-year-old whose life is coming apart, due to drinking, in order to provoke discussions about alcoholism and addiction within diverse communities.
-
Domestic ViolencePatient and Impatient GriseldaTheater of War Productions and Margaret Atwood return to the Toronto International Festival of Authors with an exciting new collaboration exploring power and control, domestic violence, and family dynamics by way of two versions of the same story, one written by Giovanni Boccaccio in 1348 during the bubonic plague and the other by Atwood in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. In Bocaccio’s version, a woman named Griselda remains in an abusive and controlling relationship, showing great patience and forbearance in the face of her husband’s sadism and cruelty. In Atwood’s version, Griselda takes matters in her own hands and, with the help of her sister, turns the tables on her husband.
This free, public event featured a live, dramatic reading of the “Patient Griselda” story from Boccaccio's Decameron by Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Fleishman is in Trouble), Maev Beaty (Beau is Afraid, Mouthpiece), and Araya Mengesha (Tiny Pretty Things, Nobody). Then, in response, Margaret Atwood performed “Impatient Grisleda,” a story that is narrated to a group of humans in quarantine by an alien that looks like an octopus. The readings of both texts was followed by immediate responses by community panelists and culminated in a guided audience discussion, facilitated by Bryan Doerries (Artistic Director, Theater of War Productions).
Co-presented by Theater of War Productions and Toronto International Festival of Authors.
This hybrid presentation took place in person at the Toronto Harbourfront Centre Theatre and on Zoom Webinar on September 30, 2023.
-
Racism & Social JusticeMothers of The MovementA conversation with Gwen Carr—mother of Eric Garner, author of This Stops Today—and Valerie Bell—mother of Sean Bell, author of Just 23—about their tireless work as Mothers of the Movement to end police violence.