Theater & Dance Reimagining the Greeks: Contemporary and Cross-Cultural Approaches to Greek Tragedy

Greek tragedies were perceived, not until long ago, as the cradle and exclusive "natural property" of the civilized West. And yet, these plays are being used as source material by artists from various media, cultures, and continents. These artists see the Greek Tragedies as a cultural, canonical asset of the entire human civilization, an asset of universal questions and dilemmas, which despite being written 2,500 years ago, are still relevant for and occupy the minds of men in the 21st century.

This three day conference will explore how contemporary artists and scholars from various disciplines and media approach Greek Tragedies. Each day of the conference will be devoted to a different culture/ geographic region, and its dialogue with Greek tragedies. The first day will focus on Japan, the second on Nigeria and South Africa, and the third on The United States.

The conference aspires to create a dialogue between the scholarly research and the artistic practice. Hence, the discussions and panels of each day will be intertwined with workshops, open to audience participation and professional artists. In these workshops, we will explore how we can draw inspiration from various techniques and styles, in order to explore new ways of working with the Greek tragedies.

For our schedule of events, and free registration, visit our conference page at www.amherst.edu/go/reimaginingthegreeks