Talks
Theater of War
- 7PM
In conjunction with BASETRACK Live
Co-presented by the Onassis Cultural Center NY
Presented by Outside the Wire, Bryan Doerries, Phyllis Kaufman
Co-hosted with Harper’s Magazine
With Jake Gyllenhaal, Reg E. Cathey, Frances McDormand, David Strathairn
Jake Gyllenhaal, Reg E. Cathey, Frances McDormand, and David Strathairn perform a dramatic reading of scenes from Sophocles’ Ajax and Philoctetes, in conjunction with this season’s presentation of Basetrack, followed by a discussion about the visible and invisible wounds of war.
Theater of War is an innovative public health project that presents powerful dramatic readings as a catalyst for town hall discussions in military communities about combat and deployment-related stress, psychological injury, alcohol and substance abuse, suicide, and the impact of military service on families and communities. For the past five years, this groundbreaking theater project has been used to open up crucial dialogue, break down stigmas, and encourage health-seeking behavior on military installations worldwide for more than 50,000 service members, veterans, and their families—and has also been presented to mixed audiences to help bridge the growing divide between military and civilian communities.
Theater of War is part of the Hellenic Humanities Program co-presented with the Onassis Cultural Center NY
This powerful work offers an inside look at the war in Afghanistan, giving voice to Marines from Unit 1/8 and their families with help from videos and interviews from the online photojournalism project Basetrack.
Simon Critchley explores the notion of nostos, the Greek word for homecoming, to better understand the psychological truths faced by servicemen and women returning from war today.
Bryan Doerries, founder of Theater of War—a project that presents readings of ancient Greek plays to military and civilian communities—leads a discussion following this performance of Basetrack Live.