Open to Public
The Neoptolemus Project
Free Event
Please RSVP through the link provided. The event Zoom link will be distributed via email, and available to registered attendees starting 2 days prior to the event.
Thu, May 12.2022
Virtual Event
The Neoptolemus Project presents acclaimed actors performing scenes from Sophocles’ Philoctetes—an ancient play about a young man who is sent to betray a decorated warrior who has been abandoned on a desolate island—as a catalyst for guided audience discussions about mental health, coming of age, and the challenges of caregiving for those our society has marginalized. Using Sophocles’ play to create a vocabulary for discussing difficult subjects, the project aims to generate compassion, understanding, awareness, and connection among diverse audiences. This special event will highlight the voices of youth and Youth Peer Advocates, who by virtue of their life experiences are credible messengers of hope, resilience, recovery, and wellness.
Co-presented by Theater of War Productions, Youth MOVE National, YouthPower, Families Together, New York University Langone Health, IDEAS Center, Mental Health America, and Well Being Trust.
Support for our digital programming is provided, in part, by the Mellon Foundation.
Featuring performances by Lesley Sharp. (Orange is the New Black), Frankie Faison (The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain), David Zayas (Dexter) and Nyasha Hatendi (Alex Rider).
The Neoptolemus Project will take place on Zoom Webinar and can be accessed on personal devices. The event Zoom link will be distributed via email and available to registered attendees starting two days prior to the event.
This event will be captioned in English.
All of Theater of War Productions' events follow the same format:
- The performers will read the text.
- Community panelists will kick off the discussion with their gut responses to what resonated with them across time
- We will open the discussion to the audience, facilitated by Bryan Doerries. During the discussion, please raise your hand using the button at the bottom center of the screen. If called upon, please accept the invitation to be promoted to speak and you will be visible and heard by the entire audience for the duration of your comments. If you would prefer not to be seen, please disable your video.
About the play
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Philoctetes by Sophocles
Sophocles’ Philoctetes tells the story of decorated warrior who is abandoned on a deserted island because of mysterious chronic illness that he contracts on the way to the Trojan War. Nine years later, the Greeks learn from an oracle that in order to win the war they must rescue him from the island. When they finally come for him, the wounded warrior must overcome nine long years of festering resentment and shame in order to accept help from the very men who betrayed him.
Cast Members
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Frankie Faison
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Taylor Schilling
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David Zayas
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Nyasha Hatendi
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