theater of war

The Greeks understood that there is a lot to be gained from sharing stories of your own struggles and pain with other people. Young people need to be taught that this is part of the human experience, that this is normal-and even healthy. Parents and academic institutions need to create environments where negative and contrary thoughts are permitted. Without these, how will our kids learn to examine their attitudes and beliefs and ultimately develop their own individual value systems-which will guide their choices and decisions throughout their lives?

 Research shows-and the positive psychology movement confirms- that long-term well-being  comes from self knowledge, because when you know yourself, you can choose a path that will be fulfilling for you. When you know what floats your boat, when you know what kind of people are good for you to be around, or maybe not so good for you to be around, when you have the experience of genuinely doing something of service for somebody else, and the intense sense of satisfaction that you get from knowing that you have that capacity, these are the things that inform a path to adulthood that is likely to bring happiness.

In this episode Bryan Doerries, Founder and Artistic Director of Theater of War, reminds us that making lots of mistakes-every day-is the only healthy path towards genuine  self-awareness and self-confidence. That's how you learn to make better choices. The Greeks embraced this openness to error and exploration as the only way towards more long-term gratification. And that's not how our society-or our parenting- is oriented right now.  We would serve our kids. well if we could find ways to give them doses of that every now and then.

“Remember,” Bryan Doerries likes to say in both physical and virtual gatherings, “you are not alone in this room — and you are not alone across time.” With his public health project, Theater of War, he is activating an old alchemy for our young century. Ancient stories, and texts that have stood the test of time, can be portals to honest and dignified grappling with present wounds and longings and callings that we aren’t able to muster in our official places now. It’s an embodiment of the good Greek word catharsis — releasing both insight and emotions that have had no place to go, and creating an energizing relief. And it is now unfolding in the “amphitheater” of Zoom that Sophocles could not have imagined.

Bryan Doerries — is co-founder, principal translator, and artistic director of Theater of War Productions. In 2021, Theater of War is launching a new form of global amphitheater in conjunction with the first ever Nobel Prize Summit on the civilizational issues facing humanity. Learn more - and register - at theaterofwar.com. His books include The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today and All That You’ve Seen Here is God, his translations of four ancient plays.

Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

“Remember,” Bryan Doerries likes to say in both physical and virtual gatherings, “you are not alone in this room — and you are not alone across time.” With his public health project, Theater of War, he is activating an old alchemy for our young century. Ancient stories, and texts that have stood the test of time, can be portals to honest and dignified grappling with present wounds and longings and callings that we aren’t able to muster in our official places now. It’s an embodiment of the good Greek word catharsis — releasing both insight and emotions that have had no place to go, and creating an energizing relief. And it is now unfolding in the “amphitheater” of Zoom that Sophocles could not have imagined.

Bryan Doerries — is co-founder, principal translator, and artistic director of Theater of War Productions. In 2021, Theater of War is launching a new form of global amphitheater in conjunction with the first ever Nobel Prize Summit on the civilizational issues facing humanity. Learn more - and register - at theaterofwar.com. His books include The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today and All That You’ve Seen Here is God, his translations of four ancient plays. 

This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode “Bryan Doerries — “You are not alone across time." Find the transcript for that show at onbeing.org.