Ajax in Iraq

Past and present collide in Ellen McLaughlin’s mash-up of Sophocles’ classic play Ajax and today’s war in Iraq. The play follows the parallel narratives of the ancient Greek military hero Ajax and a female American soldier, both undone by the betrayal of a commanding officer. Originally developed over sixteen months in 2009 with the graduate acting students at A.R.T. and inspired by material collected from interviews with Iraq war veterans, Ajax in Iraq explores the timeless ways soldiers struggle to make sense of war.