BANGOR, Maine — The mythical Greek story about Ajax, a warrior who returned from the Trojan War a hero but who later lost his mind and took his own life, will be used to discuss post-traumatic stress disorder and other hidden scars of war during a free performance Thursday at Penobscot Theatre.
“Theater of War,” a performance designed to evoke a town hall discussion about the challenges faced by service members, veterans, their families, caregivers and communities, will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday at Penobscot Theatre.
“It’s a way to have a community discussion about a subject that is difficult to talk about,” said Liam Riordan, University of Maine history professor and director of the UMaine Humanities Center.
Director Bryan Doerries translated Greek playwright Sophocles’ military dramas “Ajax” and “Philoctetes,” which is about a poisoned soldier who is abandoned en route to battle, and uses the plays to spotlight the effects of combat on those who serve in uniform and return home changed.
The performance is sponsored by the UMaine Humanities Center in partnership with the Maine Infantry Foundation, Maine Masonic College, Acadia Hospital and the Penobscot Theatre Co. Five additional UMaine departments and units, as well as other nonprofit organizations and individuals, helped make the event open to the public at no charge.
Outside the Wire uses theater and a variety of other media to address pressing public health and social issues, such as combat-related psychological injury, end-of-life care, prison reform, political violence and torture, and the destigmatization of the treatment of substance abuse and addiction.
Each segment of the play ends with a local panel discussing their reactions, Riordan said, listing the panel members as Adria O. Horn, director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services; a Umaine professor who also served in Vietnam; a wife of a veteran and a mental health treatment specialist from Acadia Hospital.
“Theater of War” has been performed more than 300 times for military and civilian communities throughout the United States, Europe and Japan.
Outside the Wire, a social impact performance company from New York City, will put on the play that is produced by Phyllis Kaufman. It will feature performances by Tate Donovan, a professional actor known for his roles in the Oscar-winning movie “Argo” and television series “Friends,” and Sally Wood, an actor, director and fight choreographer based in Portland.
The organization uses the plays to forge a common vocabulary for openly discussing the visible and invisible wounds of war and to foster understanding and compassion while mobilizing citizens and resources to help improve the lives of those affected, Riordan said.
“The Maine Infantry Foundation is very pleased to be part of this important event,” said Darryl Lyon, foundation president. “Our foundation recognizes the sacrifices of today’s service member, and creative events like ‘Theater of War’ bring those sacrifices to light.”
Tickets are free, but seating is limited, so reservation are suggested. Reserve tickets by emailing theaterofwar@penobscottheatre.org or calling the box office at 942-3333.
A free bus will take UMaine students between Orono and the Bangor Opera House and will leave from the Collins Center for the Arts at 6 p.m. and return about 9:30 p.m. For more information about transportation, email Liam Riordan, director of the UMHC, at riordan@umit.maine.edu or call 581-1913.