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Warrior Chorus Comes to Wesleyan

Local veterans and current service members will read from ancient tales of war and share their own military experiences on February 7


University News | February 6, 2020

By Sandi Billy

Warrior Chorus Project: Staged Reading of Greek Tragedy by and for Veterans
Friday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center
Free and open to the public

“It took my breath away,” said Dr. Ben Haller of Homer’s Illiad when he saw Peter Meineck’s production with Achaean warriors in G.I. battle dress. At that moment, Haller knew he wanted to do something similar at Virginia Wesleyan University.

“I spoke with friends at William and Mary and heard of similar productions elsewhere,” said Haller, Associate Professor of Classics and Chair of the VWU Classics Department, "and learned of Meineck’s Warrior Chorus Project through Helen Cullyer, then-president of the Society for Classical Studies. Meineck had a very strong record of working with veterans and helping them get involved in local arts organizations. It sounded ideal, and he was enthusiastic to help.”

Meineck, a former Royal Marine, is a professor of classics in the modern world at New York University, founder of Aquila Theatre, and creator of the Warrior Chorus Project. The program seeks to involve veterans in the performance of ancient Greek classics to discover the connections between classical literature and contemporary America, particularly affecting the veteran community. As Plato said, “All choruses should be performed to make the best warriors.” (Laws 12.942d)

Dr. Travis Malone, Professor of Theatre and Dean of the Susan S. School of the Fine and Performing Arts, was immediately enthusiastic when Haller brought the idea to him. In addition to his close work on this project, he decided to develop a “Greek Spring” and is at work on his own adaptation of the Athenian comic writer Menander’s “The Shield.” Assisted by classics and theatre major Cecilia Ward ’21, performances will be presented by the VWU Theatre Department March 5-8 (tickets are $5-10 at vwu.tix.com).

Haller found “Warrior Chorus” to be a good fit for the campus because his military students often bring up how they relate to the Greek classics of war and loss. This production includes eight local veterans, both men and women.

“There’s no hidden agenda in this project," he says. "It’s meant to be a positive, supportive, and rewarding experience, and to show our appreciation for veterans."

The performance will include 40 minutes of readings, followed by discussion. It takes place in the Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center on Friday, February 7, at 7:30 p.m. and is free to all (no reservations are necessary). The performance is sponsored by Virginia Humanities, a division of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and is an On Deck Premiere event, sponsored by VWU’s Lighthouse.