End Of Life

DRAMATIC READING OF WOMEN OF TRACHIS + PHILOCTETES, BY SOPHOCLES

TRANSLATED AND DIRECTED BY BRYAN DOERRIES

End of Life presents readings of ancient Greek plays in public settings and medical communities as a catalyst for facilitated discussions about challenges faced by patients, families, and health professionals today around end-of-life care. This unique, participatory event is intended to promote powerful, open discussion among diverse communities – public and professional – fostering compassion, cooperation, and understanding about living with chronic suffering and the mortality we all share.

Oscar Isaac

THE OEDIPUS PROJECT

DRAMATIC READING OF OEDIPUS THE KING, BY SOPHOCLES

TRANSLATED, DIRECTED, AND FACILITATED BRYAN DOERRIES

The Oedipus Project presents acclaimed actors reading scenes from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King as a catalyst for powerful, constructive, global conversations about the climate crisis, ecological disaster, environmental justice, and healing online conversations about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon diverse communities throughout the world. Sophocles’ ancient play, first performed in 429 BC, just after the first wave of a plague that killed nearly one-third of the Athenian population, is a story of arrogant leadership, ignored prophecy, intergenerational curses, and a pestilence and ecological collapse that ravages the archaic city of Thebes. Seen through this lens, Oedipus the King appears to have been a powerful tool for helping Athenians communalize trauma and loss, while interrogating their own complicit role in the suffering, not just of those around them but of generations to come.

The Investigation

Theater of War Productions and the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, presents readings of scenes from Peter Weiss’ play The Investigation, a piece of documentary theater adapted from the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials of 1963-65 when 22 mid- and lower-level Nazi officials were tried for crimes against humanity in the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex. The project will center on guided audience discussions about mass murder and its lasting impact upon individuals, families, communities, and countries throughout the world. The presentation will be performed by a diverse cast, including international performers from communities affected by genocide.

Adapted and facilitated by Theater of War Productions’ Co-Founder and Artistic Director Bryan Doerries, The Investigation will seek to generate powerful dialogue across cultures and communities about the human capacity for evil, as well as the systems and hierarchies that create the conditions for unthinkable violence.

Featuring

John Doman (“The Wire”), Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network”), Kathryn Erbe (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”), Zach Grenier (“The Good Wife”), Josh Hamilton (“Eighth Grade”), Chris Henry Coffey (“Chicago Fire”), Jennifer Mudge (“The Irishman”), David Patrick Kelly (“Twin Peaks”).

About Theater of War

Theater of War Productions works with leading film, theater, and television actors to present dramatic readings of seminal plays—from classical Greek tragedies to modern and contemporary works—followed by town hall-style discussions designed to confront social issues by drawing out raw and personal reactions to themes highlighted in the plays. The guided discussions underscore how the plays resonate with contemporary audiences and invite audience members to share their perspectives and experiences, and, helping to break down stigmas, foster empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of complex issues.

In an effort to reach communities directly, Theater of War Productions partners with a range of organizations and government agencies including the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, United Services Organization, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and Department of Veterans Services. Additionally, the company also works with universities, museums, theaters, veterans’ organizations and advocacy groups, homeless shelters, prisons, hospitals, mental health facilities, and activist groups. Notable artists who have performed with Theater of War Productions include Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, Adam Driver, Jesse Eisenberg, Paul Giamatti, Jake Gyllenhaal, Alfred Molina, Samira Wiley, and others.

Theater of War Productions was co-founded in 2009 by Bryan Doerries and Phyllis Kaufman, who served as producing director from 2009 to 2016. Doerries currently serves as the company’s artistic director. Since its founding in 2009, Theater of War Productions has facilitated events for more than 500,000 people, presenting over 20 tailored programs to serve diverse communities across the globe, reaching over 100 countries.