The Theater of War by Bryan Doerries

The Theater of War by Bryan Doerries

For years theater director Bryan Doerries has been producing ancient Greek tragedies for a wide range of at-risk people in society. His is the personal and deeply passionate story of a life devoted to reclaiming the timeless power of an ancient artistic tradition to comfort the afflicted.
 
Doerries leads an innovative public health project--Theater of War--that produces ancient dramas for current and returned soldiers, people in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse, tornado and hurricane survivors, and more. Tracing a path that links the personal to the artistic to the social and back again, Doerries shows us how suffering and healing are part of a timeless process in which dialogue and empathy are inextricably linked.
 
The originality and generosity of Doerries's work is startling, and The Theater of War--wholly unsentimental, but intensely felt and emotionally engaging--is a humane, knowledgeable, and accessible book that will both inspire and enlighten.

Bryan Doerries is a writer, director, and translator located in New York. He is now the Artistic Director of Theater of War Productions, a company that offers theatrical readings of landmark plays and texts to frame community debates about important public health and social justice concerns. Doerries, a self-described enthusiast for ancient stories and their relevance to modern life, employs age-old methods to assist individuals and communities in healing from trauma and loss. He is the author of three books: The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Now; Everything That You've Seen Here Is God, a graphic novelization of Homer's Odyssey told from the perspective of a US Marine returning home from Afghanistan; and The Odyssey of Sergeant Jack Brennan, a graphic novelization of Homer's Odyssey told from the perspective of a US Marine returning home from Afghanistan. He was named Public Artist in Residence for the City of New York and granted an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Kenyon College. www.theaterofwar.com is a website dedicated to the theater of war.