An innovative theatrical project called "Theater of War," which is funded by the Department of Defense, will be presented at the San Diego Naval Medical Center on Monday, September 20th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. "Theater of War" presents scenes from the ancient Greek plays "Philoctetes" and "Ajax" in dramatic readings (meaning no staging or costuming, just actors in plain clothes at a table).
This presentation is for San Diego's military community - service members, officers, veterans, family members, and caregivers. The scenes, although written 2,500 years ago, deal with the complex emotional issues faced by those returning from war in a way that resonate deeply with modern-day warriors. While terms like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) may be modern, they refer to issues that warriors have battled throughout history, as these scenes powerfully illustrate.
Four actors read the scenes from the two plays, which were written in the 4th century B.C. by Sophocles, who had himself been a general in the Athenian army. In "Philoctetes," a wounded soldier has been left behind by his army and despairs alone. In "Ajax," set during the 10-year-long Trojan War, a great hero loses his mind and slaughters animals, thinking they're men, before taking his own life.
It has been suggested that ancient Greek drama was a form of storytelling, communal therapy, and ritual reintegration for combat veterans by combat veterans. Producers of the "Theater of War" suggest that the audiences for whom these plays were originally performed were undoubtedly comprised of citizen-soldiers. Also, the performers themselves were most likely veterans or cadets.
Seen through this lens, ancient Greek drama appears to have become an elaborate ritual aimed at helping combat veterans return to civilian life after deployments during a century that saw 80 years of war. Needless to say, the Greeks were far ahead of their time.
Following each performance is a town hall-style discussion with the audience and a panel that usually includes a veteran, a family member, and mental health provider. The idea is to create a comfortable forum where these issues can be addressed, and the strong reactions from audience members affirms the need for these types of programs. "Theater of War" was presented at Camp Pendleton back in July and was very well received.
Based on the success of the project, Theater of War Productions was awarded a contract by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), is presenting 100 performances for military audiences nationwide at military sites, suicide prevention conferences, service academies, war colleges, and medical schools. A segmenton the project that aired on PBS NewsHour earlier this year will give you an idea of what the presentations are like.
It should be noted that some of the material in "Theater of War" may be too intense for children. Producers of the "Theater of War" rate it 'PG-15', meaning they don't recommend for children younger than 15. A spokesman for the production tells me, "We have had teenagers attend, and they have had very positive experiences."
