Theatre South Carolina Presents AJAX IN IRAQ, Now thru 10/11

Theatre South Carolina at the University of SC will kick off its 2014-2015 season with the provocative war drama Ajax in Iraq, today, October 3-11 at Longstreet Theatre.

Show times for Ajax in Iraq are 8pm Wednesdays through Saturdays, with additional 3pm matinees on Sunday, October 5 and Saturday, October 11. Tickets for the production are $12 for students, $16 for USC faculty/staff, military personnel and seniors 60+, and $18 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased by calling 803-777-2551 or by visiting the Longstreet Theatre box office, which is open Monday-Friday, 12:30pm-5:30pm, beginning Friday, September 26th. Longstreet Theatre is located at 1300 Greene St.

Award-winning playwright Ellen McLaughlin's innovative script exposes the immutable consequences of war by juxtaposing Sophocles' centuries-old tale of the tragic Greek hero, Ajax, with the shell-shocked journey of A.J., a modern-day female soldier fighting in Iraq. Athena, the goddess of war, coolly presides over their parallel stories in this powerfully contemporary nightmare of war, inspired in part by interviews with Iraq War veterans and their families. Ajax in Iraq contains adult language and content which is not suitable for children.

"A.J. and Ajax's stories run in parallel, and are hugely important to understand the context of the play," says director Peter Duffy. The two characters, both heroes of their respective wars, experience harsh betrayals in battle that lead them to madness and, ultimately, lead the audience to question society's responsibility to its soldiers. A Greek chorus of sorts echoes the soldiers' trials through testimonials that paint a shockingly vivid portrait of life on the front lines.

"Ultimately, the play asks, 'What is the human cost of conflict?'," Duffy explains. "We send soldiers to do our bidding, and that bidding can come at a cost for the soldiers and their families. What is our responsibility to that?"

Staged readings of Sophocles' Ajax have become frequently used as a discussion tool for veterans and civilians to explore the effects of wartime on individuals, families and communities. Organizations around the country, such as the Theatre of War project (www.outsidethewirellc.com), commonly hold town-hall style forums after performances to relate the classic work to modern day concerns such as post-traumatic stress disorder and issues related to female service members.

Similarly, the theatre program at USC will be hosting post-show talk-backs on Friday, October 3 and Friday, October 10.

21 talented undergraduate actors, including Jamie Boller as A.J., Leroy Kelly as Ajax and Jasmine James as Athena, will take on the play's multiple roles. Professor Stan Brown (who recently joined the USC theatre faculty) is cast in the role of a Vietnam veteran. The cast also includes Sal Benoit, Matthew Couch, Jason Fernandes, Michael Ferrucci, John Floyd, Alissa Holmes, Raven Massey, Jon Whit McClinton, Kristine Montgomery, William Quant, Grace Ann Roberts, Sallie Sargent, Rebecca Shrom, Grace Stewart, Wes Williams, Kelsea Woods and Andrea Wurzburger.

The production's striking design has been created by faculty members of the theatre program. Scenic designer Andy Mills, a senior design instructor, has crafted a multi-platform stage that at once represents both the landscape and the political fractures in Iraq. Associate Professor (and Theatre SC Co-Artistic Director) Lisa Martin-Stuart's costume designs skillfully bridge two time periods set centuries apart. Professor Jim Hunter's lighting design takes the audience directly onto the battlefield, whether under the glaring desert sun or within the stark uncertainty of night vision goggles. A music and effect-filled sound design has been produced by guest artist Danielle Wilson.

One of the play's pivotal moments will feature a highly stylized movement work conceived by guest artist Terrance Henderson, an award-winning professional choreographer and dance educator who graduated from the theatre program in 2001.

The final result is a production that promises to open our eyes to the soldier's experience both on and off the battlefield.

"We all have our 'Support Our Troops' bumper stickers, but what does it really mean to show that support?" asks Duffy. "What's our own personal culpability when our soldiers return home, making sure they have jobs and health care? That's what this play calls into question - our ethical responsibility to know that we've created this wartime situation and have to see it through, not just in the middle east, but here at home as well."

For more information on Ajax in Iraq or the theatre program at the University of SC, contact Kevin Bush by phone at (803) 777-9353 or by email at bushk@mailbox.sc.edu.

Photo by Jason Ayer

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