Open to Public
Theater of War: Four Freedoms Park
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.
Wed, Sep 27.2023
Virtual Event
Theater of War is a groundbreaking public health project that presents acclaimed actors performing scenes from Sophocles’ Ajax—an ancient play about the suicide of a great, respected warrior—as a catalyst for guided audience discussions about the visible and invisible wounds of war, and the impact of deployment on individuals, families, and communities. Using Sophocles’ play to forge a common vocabulary for open dialogue, these events are aimed at generating compassion and understanding between diverse audiences. Each performance is followed by community panelist remarks and a facilitated audience discussion.
Featuring performances by Ato Blankson-Wood (When They See Us), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Fleishman is in Trouble), Amy Ryan (Only Murders in the Building, The Office), Bill Camp (Lincoln, Dark Waters), Marjolaine Goldsmith (Company Manager Theater of War Productions) Eduardo Jany (US Army Veteran, Col USMC (Ret.)), Latoya Lucas (Iraq War Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient), and Craig Manbauman (Nurse, Poet, US Air Force Veteran).
Translated, directed, and facilitated by Bryan Doerries.
Co-presented by Theater of War Productions and FDR Four Freedoms State Park Conservancy. Supported by News Corp and Fox.
Support for our digital programming is provided in part by The Mellon Foundation.
This event will be captioned in English.
This hybrid presentation of Theater of War will take place in person and on Zoom Webinar. Please select your preferred mode of attendance by clicking the "get tickets" button. To register to attend in-person, please select "in-person" tickets. If you choose to join us online, this event 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.
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. To participate in the discussion online, 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
-
Ajax by Sophocles
Sophocles’ Ajax tells the story of a fierce warrior who is passed over for recognition by his command after losing his cousin Achilles in battle during the Trojan War. Feeling betrayed, Ajax attempts to murder his superior officers, fails, and—ultimately—takes his own life. The play tells the story of the events leading up to Ajax’ suicide, as well as the story of his wife and troops’ attempt to intervene before it's too late. The play also depicts the devastating impact of Ajax’ suicide upon his wife, son, brother, troops, and chain of command.
Cast Members
-
Ato Blankson Wood
-
Amy Ryan
-
Bill Camp
-
Jesse Eisenberg
-
Marjolaine Goldsmith
-
Craig Manbauman
-
Latoya Lucas
-
Eduardo Jany
Explore Projects
-
Ethics & The Justice SystemTheater of Law
Developed with New York University’s Forum on Law, Culture, & Society, and designed as a professional development program for legal professionals, as well as for the general public, Theater of Law drives conversations about moral justice in the court system. The project is aimed at engaging audiences who have in some way been disenfranchised by the law in constructive, powerful dialogue.
-
Refugees & ImmigrationThe Suppliants Project
The Suppliants Project tells the timeless story of fifty female refugees seeking asylum at a border from forced marriage and domestic violence. The play not only depicts the struggle of these women to cross into safety, but also the internal struggle within the city that ultimately receives them. Using a 2,500-year-old tragedy by Aeschylus as a catalyst for powerful gatherings and crucial conversations, The Suppliants Project engages diverse audiences in humanizing, constructive dialogue about the challenges and impact of war, migration, and seeking asylum.
-
Pandemic & Climate CrisisAn Enemy of The People
An Enemy of the People presents acclaimed actors, public health leaders, scientists, journalists, elected officials, and local community members performing dramatic readings of scenes from Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play An Enemy of the People to help frame powerful, guided audience discussions aimed at generating connection, understanding, compassion, moral repair, and much-needed healing. The play tells the story of a doctor who discovers the water supply in his small, rural town has been poisoned by a tannery. Despite his efforts to convey the truth to the public, the doctor fails to save his community from environmental disaster and is ultimately scapegoated for his whistleblowing. An Enemy of the People was first performed in Norway in 1882, and yet it speaks to the present moment as if it were written for our times — to the corrosive influence of power and money in politics, the distortions of the media, and the many other challenges to public health in our culture today, especially during times of crisis.