A.C.T. and USF Present Two Free AJAX Readings

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), in association with University of San Francisco (USF), is partnering with Theater of War Productions, a social impact company that presents readings of ancient Greek plays to military communities as a catalyst for town hall discussions, to present two free and public readings of Sophocles' Ajax.

The readings will be followed by panel discussions with active-duty military and veterans, their family members, and mental health professionals, concluding with town hall discussions with the audience. The presentations are on Sunday, November 13, 2011, at 7 p.m., and Monday, November 14, 2011, at 7 p.m., at University of San Francisco's Presentation Theater (2350 Turk Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94117). Reservations are recommended. To make a reservation, please contact the A.C.T. Box Office at 415.749.2228 or act-sf.org.

"One of the most valuable aspects of classical theater is its ability to illuminate in startling ways the issues we are wrestling with in our own time," said A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff, who will direct the readings. "The Theater of War project is an amazing example of the ways in which theater can open up a dialogue about the painful and often unspoken consequences of war on our troops, by inviting a mixed audience of veterans and civilians to experience a visionary Greek tragedy and then discuss it in a safe and carefully moderated way with public health professionals who are committed to this complex work. A.C.T. is honored to participate in this extraordinary national project as part of our effort to bring the power of live theater to a broader community, and to engender dialogue and discussion around the critical issues facing our country at this time."
Theater of War Productions, supported by a generous grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in collaboration with the USO, is partnering with prominent theaters across the United States to present Theater of War for mixed audiences comprised of military service men and women and civilians.

Theater of War is an innovative public health project that presents readings of ancient Greek plays, Sophocles' Ajax and Philoctetes, as a catalyst for town hall discussions about the challenges faced by service men and women, veterans, and their families, caregivers, and communities. Using Sophocles' plays to forge a common vocabulary for openly discussing the impact of war on individuals, families, and communities, these events are aimed at generating compassion and understanding among diverse audiences. Each evening is approximately two hours long. The readings from the plays are followed by comments from a panel that features a diverse group of military community members, as well as a town-hall style audience discussion.
Theater of War Productions has presented more than 150 performances of Sophocles' Ajax and Philoctetes for military audiences throughout the United States and Europe. The plays have performed at military sites as diverse as the Pentagon, Guantanamo Bay, Army posts throughout Germany, VA Hospitals, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, homeless shelters, high school auditoriums, theaters, and churches. Audiences have included service members and veterans from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Special Forces, National Guard, and Reserves, as well as high-ranking officials from the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Each reading has been followed by a town-hall style audience discussion, which has been facilitated with the help of military community members. These have been arresting, emotionally charged events, in which service members have spoken openly about their experiences in combat and at home. To date, nearly 30,000 service members, veterans, and their families have attended and participated in Theater of War performances and discussions.

The A.C.T. Theater of War cast features members of A.C.T.'s core Acting Company and current Master of Fine Arts Program students, as well as M.F.A. Program graduate Timothy Hull, who spent six years with the Army (including 16 months in Iraq) after graduating from A.C.T., in the role of the Chorus. The play is translated by Bryan Doerries and produced by Phyllis Kaufman.
The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion facilitated by Doerries (November 13) and USF Associate Professor Roberto Gutierrez Varea (November 14), featuring active-duty military and veterans, their family members, and mental health professionals, and concluding with a town hall discussion with the audience. Mental health professionals who have been confirmed for the events include Susan Karpenko, LCSW, CGP, Outpatient Clinical Social Worker, Substance Abuse and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Program, Department of Veterans Affairs, San Francisco, and John A. Straznickas, M.D., UCSF Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Team Leader, Substance Use and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Team, San Francisco VA Medical Center. Perloff will introduce the program on November 13 and USF President Stephen A. Privett, S.J., will make introductory remarks on November 14.

These performances of Theater of War are made possible by the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in collaboration with the USO.

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