“you big men with your big words
pay a big price for that
but in the end
you learn wisdom too
even you”

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.

21st Century Women and Ancient Greek Tragedy

Curated by Martha S. LoMonaco, Katherine A. Schwab, and Sara Brill

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.

21st Century Women and Ancient Greek Tragedy is sponsored by the Fairfield University Humanities Institute.