Twenty-first Century women respond to the leading ladies of Ancient Greece -- Antigone, Iphigenia, and Medea as part of the 21st Century Women and Ancient Greek Tragedy Festival presented by the Quick Center for the Arts | Press Releases

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (September 21, 2017) —Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts presents Global Theatre: A Performance Series with a festival exploring 21 ^st Century Women and Ancient Greek Tragedy .

Join us as 21st century women ― filmmakers, directors, performers, writers, scholars —respond to the powerful women of Greek Tragedy in a series of four special programs. Who are these extraordinary characters and what do they have to say about women, and their place in the world, then and now?

Antigone, Iphigenia, Medea ― some of the most captivating figures in western drama ― are title roles in ancient Greek tragedies. These formidable characters were wholly the creation of men since women could not write plays nor perform in public during the Golden Age of Greek Theatre in the 5th century B.C.E. On stage, these women, originally played by male actors, enjoyed central roles but, like their real life counterparts, were vulnerable and held no power outside the home. Yet, their power as characters has enthralled audiences for 25 centuries and has inspired women, and anyone who has struggled to gain rights and privileges throughout the world, to acts of great courage and determination.

Programs included as part of 21 ^st Century Women and Ancient Greek Tragedy will take place at the Quick and are free unless otherwise noted. This series is supported, in part, by the Fairfield University Humanities Institute.

Iphigenia: Book of Change
Written and directed by Elise Kermani
Tuesday, October 3, 2017 | 5 P.M.

Iphigenia — Book of Change is the film of a live performance piece, created by Dr. Elise Kermani, an “archaeologist of Greek myth.” It was inspired by Euripides’s plays of Iphigenia as well as stories of contemporary women who have survived captivity. Dr. Katherine Schwab will introduce Kermani, who will answer questions following the screening.

Theatre Fairfield and Antigone : Sophokles’s Antigone , in a new translation by Anne Carson
Directed by Dr. Martha S. LoMonaco
Presented by Theatre Fairfield
October 25-28, 2017 | 8 P.M.
October 28-29, 2017 | 2 P.M.
Wien Black Box Theatre
$15 | $5 Fairfield University students

Antigone boldly speaks truth to power, instigating a battle of wills with her uncle, King Kreon, who condemns her to death and destroys his family. Carson’s refreshing translation brings Sophokles’s classic tragedy into the present day.

Feminism & Greek Tragedy Roundtable
Thursday, November 2, 2017 | 5 P.M.

Moderated by Dr. Sara Brill, this program brings together three feminist scholars who grapple with ancient Greek texts: Dr. Yurie Hong, Gustavus Adolphus College; Dr. Kalliopi Nikolopoulou, University of Buffalo; and Dr. Danielle Layne, Gonzaga University. The roundtable structure will provide a fluid format for panelists to interweave scholarly research with personal narrative and will welcome interaction with audience members.

Ellen McLaughlin
Keynote Address
Thursday, November 2, 2017 | 8 P.M.

Ellen McLaughlin ― playwright, actor, and director―will discuss and perform segments from her adaptations of six Greek tragedies, commissioned by leading American theatre companies in response to political crises throughout the world. McLaughlin is best known as the originator of the Angel in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America , a role which she played on Broadway and throughout the U.S.

Programs are free unless otherwise noted. RSVP to reserve your space by contacting the Quick Center Box Office. For tickets, visit www.quickcenter.com or call the box office at 203-254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396.