Greek Tragedies as Therapy

Guest: Bryan Doerries, Artistic Director, Theater of War Productions One of the painful ironies of the pandemic is that we’re not able to gather to process and grieve, to find support from knowing that we’re not alone in our fear or suffering. That’s one of the roles theater has played in society dating all the way back to ancient Greece. A nonprofit called Theater of War Productions has been using Greek tragedies to help war veterans and trauma survivors explore their experiences. Now the group has turned its attention to frontline healthworkers in the pandemic. The live Zoom performances feature award-winning actors like Frances McDormand. After the live performances, doctors, nurses, EMTs, technicians and cleaning aides talk things over—kind of a theater-assisted group therapy Zoom session.