The Contemporary History Institute presents a stage reading of the play Ajax, a 2,000-year-old Greek tragedy that reveals the timelessness of the veteran experience, on Feb. 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Athena Cinema.
The performance of Sophocles’ Greek tragedy from the 5th century BC using a translation by Bryan Doerries is part of CHI’s participation in a National Endowment for the Humanities program, “Dialogue on the Experience of War.” CHI’s participation in the NEH initiative is the locally run program “Coming Home from War: Conversations for Veterans,” which serves the veteran community in the Southeast Ohio region.
The one-time free performance is open to the public and is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Feb. 2 at the Athena Cinema on Court Street.
Dr. Matthew Cornish, Assistant Professor of Theater History and Director of Studies for the Honors Tutorial College programs in Theater, will direct the performance. The actors have been chosen from students within OHIO’s School of Theater. The stage reading will last about 60 minutes, followed by a 60-minute discussion of the play involving a mixture of veterans who are taking part in the larger NEH initiative, their family members, other unaffiliated veterans, as well as any interested non-veterans from the audience.
Ajax is the first of three major public events as part of CHI’s “Coming Home from War.” The free program uses humanities sources (film, fiction, poetry, theater) to help veterans explore the effects of combat experiences, from coping with killing to survivor’s guilt; reintegration into society; coping with trauma, injuries, and disabilities; and coming home to an economically stressed region. Starting in late January, the two-hour evening group conversations will meet three times over the coming month, bringing together veterans and service members to reflect on their service, war, and homecoming experiences through conversations.
History professor and CHI director Dr. Ingo Trauschweizer, with the help of Dr. Nukhet Sandal, Associate Professor of Political Science and director of War and Peace Studies, and David Edwards, director of the Veterans and Military Student Services Center, assembled a team of 10 Ohio University faculty members and two external consultants to conduct an interdisciplinary training program for undergraduate and graduate students during the fall semester. They prepared a group of 10 students to lead the conversation groups with veterans this spring semester, who are students or members of the Athens or regional communities.
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