About the project
The Suppliants Project
Dramatic Reading of The Suppliants, by Aeschylus
Translated and Directed by Bryan Doerries
The Suppliants Project is an innovative new project, developed by Theater of War Productions, that will present dramatic readings by acclaimed actors of scenes from Aeschylus’ play The Suppliants—an ancient tragedy about fifty female refugees who seek asylum in the ancient city of Argos, and the struggle within that city about whether to receive them—as a catalyst for powerful, candid discussions about human trafficking, immigration, and current refugee crisis.
About the play
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The Suppliants by Aeschylus
In Aeschylus’ ancient play The Suppliants, fifty women who are fleeing forced marriages travel from Egypt to Argos in order to ask King Pelasgus for asylum. At first, Pelasgus refuses to help them, but the Argive people rally behind the women and convince their king to allow the refugees to remain under the city’s protection. When a large group of Egyptian men arrive in Argos, demanding their women back, King Pelasgus threatens them and summons his army to drive them away. The play ends with the women retreating to safety and finding asylum within the walls of Argos.
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