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Seven Theta Presents Philoctetes

Posted: March 5, 2010

Seven Theta performed scenes from Sophocles' tragic drama Philoctetes in conjunction with a slide presentation relating the play's themes of post-traumatic stress disorder to the experiences of modern day soldiers. Seventh Grade teacher Jim Barbieri developed the project after reading about an initiative called Theater of War, in which actors toured the country doing readings of two dramas by Sophocles, Ajax and Philoctetes. These two tragedies with their Trojan War settings each describe a soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder; Theater of War participants read these plays for American veterans who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan, hoping to show them that it is healthier to confront their traumas and talk about them than to suffer in silence. Seven Pi recently presented Ajax and Seven Theta presented scenes from Philoctetes, showing the students that the ancient Greek tragedies have universal themes that are still relevant to modern audiences.

Related Links:
7 Theta's  slide presentation (pdf version)
7 Theta's slide presentation (online version)
Headmaster's Blog : see March 1st entry "Philoctetes by Sophocles"

Photo Gallery: Philoctetes