ARISTOTLE/ALEXANDER By Alex Lyras is Coming to Company Of Angels
Aristotle/Alexander runs from March 29 - May 4, 2025.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Feb. 28, 2025
Company of Angels and Combined Artform, in partnership with Legacy LA, will present the world premiere of Aristotle/Alexander and has revealed the full cast and creative team. Written and directed by two-time Ovation Award winner Alex Lyras (Off-Broadway's The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, Off-Broadway's Plasticity), this play explores the historical relationship between Aristotle and Alexander the Great. Based on historical events, the play weaves verbatim text from multiple extant sources with an original score featuring authentic ancient instrumentation, complemented by innovative, immersive video design. Aristotle/Alexander is co-produced by Armando Molina (South Coast Repertory's The Long Road Today, Company of Angels' LA Views - Traffic Jam), Matthew Quinn (Combined Artform + Asylum), and Lyras. Performances begin March 29 and run through May 4, 2025, with opening night on Saturday, March 29, 2025. The limited engagement will take place at the home of Company of Angels (1350 San Pablo St, Los Angeles, 90333). Tickets are now on sale.
When star philosopher Aristotle accepts the coveted position of court tutor for an adolescent Alexander the Great, an intellectual battle of wits between teacher and student collides with high stakes Hellenistic realpolitik bearing life and death consequences. Both then and now, the question of how best to rule reaches a chilling conclusion: democracies are far more fragile than we realize.
"Company of Angels is excited to collaborate in bringing Aristotle/Alexander to our stage and audience," expressed co-producer Armando Molina. "Aligning with our mission, the play re-envisions several timely and universal themes: democracy versus tyranny, education versus indoctrination, ethics versus politics, and the role of family as the foundation of good leadership."
"It's a rare moment in history when two figures of this stature crash into each other, and at such a pivotal period in each of their lives," shared writer, director, and co-producer Alex Lyras. "The impact is apparent on both lives, and ancient Greece was never the same. The parallels to our current political dilemma two thousand years later are uncanny." He added, "I'm thrilled that Aristotle/Alexander will be having its world premiere at Company of Angels and to be working with my friends and fellow artists Armando Molina and Matthew Quinn."
The cast of Aristotle/Alexander includes Andrew Byron (West End's Night of the Iguana, Brighton Fringe Festival's The Good Russian) as Aristotle, Nicholas Clary (Mountain Avenue Theatre's Midnight Summer's Dream, "Acidman") as Alexander, John Kapelos (National Hellenic Museum's The Trial of Socrates, The Breakfast Club) as Isocrates, and Elyse Levesque (CW's "The Originals," Fox Searchlight's "Ready or Not") as Queen Olympias.
In addition to Lyras, the creative team for Aristotle/Alexander includes original score by Andreas Fevos, set design by Joel Daavid, visual design by Jon Bonk and Tim Kennedy from Immerse Studios video, video and lighting design by Matt Richter, costume design by Paula Davis, hair & make up by Heidi Lowry, fight choreography by Orion Barnes, technical direction by Justin Huen, digital content by Effie Samios, video editing by Peter Chakos, casting by April Webster, and stage management by Claire Dewars.
Aristotle/Alexander was originally commissioned by the J. Paul Getty Museum for the Getty Villa Theater Lab and produced as a staged reading in Spring 2024.
Aristotle/Alexander runs from March 29 - May 4, 2025, with the official opening night on Saturday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m. at Company of Angels (1350 San Pablo St, Los Angeles, 90333). Performances will be held every Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m., with an additional matinee at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 19. Tickets range from $20-$40 and are available at AristotleAlexander.com. Parking is free on premises.
Company of Angels will also present post-show discussions at each Sunday matinee performance. The talkbacks, which are included in the ticket price, will feature director and playwright, Alex Lyras and accredited classical scholars. Please check AristotleAlexander.com for up-to-date information.
ALEX LYRAS
(Writer, Director, Co-Producer), whose roots lie in New York theater, has written and produced four Off-Broadway shows. Plasticity topped the Huff Post's "Best Plays" list and won an Ovation Award before transferring to the Greenwich House Theater. His previous production, The Common Air, won multiple awards in Los Angeles and transferred Off-Broadway to 45 Bleecker Street. Unequalibrium was selected for publication in New Playwrights Best Plays and Best Men's Monologues for the 21st Century. He has sold TV pilots to FOX and Warner Brothers, developed an action comedy for Jerry Bruckheimer and a drama for Joel Silver. His screenplay, Edison Illuminated, won the Alfred P. Sloan Grant from the Tribeca Film Institute and was optioned by Castle Rock Entertainment. Smith & Kraus has published a trilogy of his work with long time writing partner Robert McCaskill. He is a member of the Writers Guild of American West.
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