Talks

Theater of War founder Bryan Doerries leads an evening of performance and dialogue examining Euripides’ Medea and Seneca’s Phaedra, two ancient plays that timelessly depict how scorned passion can lead to revenge and, sometimes, unthinkable violence. Is Medea mentally ill, and, if so, how do we understand the chilling logic of her decision to kill her own children? What drives Phaedra to deceive her husband and attempt to seduce her stepson? In a world in which children are often the unwitting victims of dissolving marriages and predatory individuals, how do we advocate for and protect the innocent?

Featuring dramatic readings of scenes by Elizabeth Marvel (House of Cards), Amy Ryan (Birdman), Donnetta Lavinia Grays (The Wrestler), and Bill Camp (The Crucible), this unique event is moderated by Doerries, who uses his own new translation of Medea and Laura Weber's translation of Phaedra to facilitate a lively audience discussion about the relevance of these myths to our lives today. Attendees will delve into under-discussed mental health issues facing our society today, such as postpartum depression and psychosis, and talk about recent incidents in our own community that bear an uncanny resemblance to the plots of these plays.

Please note: Late seating is solely at the discretion of the management and that seating is not guaranteed past curtain time