Ajax and Philoctetes new use for old results

Project aims to connect with troops through tales of ancient warriors
By Seth Robbins, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, May 15, 2010

BAUMHOLDER, Germany - More than two millennia ago, the Greek dramatist Sophocles wrote of warriors scarred by battle: Ajax, so consumed by rage that he turns it on himself, and Philoctetes, maddened by isolation after being deserted by his fellow officers.

The Theater of War project has revived these ancient warriors for today’s troops, staging readings of "Ajax" and "Philoctetes" at more than 75 U.S. military sites.

The plays, which place the two title characters in the battles and bloodlettings of the mythic Trojan War, were chosen as a way to remind modern troops that their experiences are not new.

Sophocles had served as a commander of the armed forces, and possibly as a general in a campaign in the Samian war, which pitted Athens against the island of Samos. His plays, written at a time of constant warfare, were likely to have been seen by many with combat experience.

Though the works are rarely produced for today’s audiences because of their difficulty, Theater of War director Bryan Doerries said the troops relate to them instantly.
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