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19th Annual European Union Day: A Performance of Aeschylus's "The Suppliants" by Out of Chaos Theatre and Post-Performance Panel Discussion

Event Type
Performance
Sponsor
European Union Center; Center for Advanced Study; Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies; Center for Global Studies; Classics; Comparative & World Literature; French & Italian; Humanities Research Institute; Krannert Center for Performing Arts; Linguistics; Medieval Studies; Office of the Dean of the College of Law; School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics; Spanish & Portuguese; University YMCA
Date
Mar 5, 2021   2:00 pm  
Registration
Registration
E-Mail
eucenter@illinois.edu
Views
265

The European Union Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign will host a virtual performance of "The Suppliants" by Aeschylus, a tragedy about migration and asylum. The performance will include an international, diverse cast, including American, British, and Greek actors. The director Paul O’Mahony and the actors are members of the innovative and acclaimed Out of Chaos Theatre in the U.K. The full program may be found here.

"The Suppliants" by Aeschylus, performed in the late 460s B.C.E. at the Theater of Dionysus on the south slope of the Acropolis, told the story of the Danaids who fled their native Egypt to escape forced marriage. Arriving as refugees in Greece, they supplicate the gods and the king of the city of Argos, seeking a refuge and a new home.

Mirroring closely the laws of Athens’ newly-minted democracy and its time-honored customs of hospitality, the story of the Danaids provokes reflection on how democratic societies deal with foreigners and on collective action to remedy the suffering of others.

Please join us for the performance of an ancient tragedy of migration and lend your voice to decide the fate of the refugees, when the king brings the question of granting asylum to vote before the citizens’ assembly.

The post-performance discussion features a panel of speakers on the topics of refugees in Greece and the Mediterranean, on federal approaches to U.S. immigration, and on the work of local immigration activists. Do not miss this event and join us in this timely, vital conversation with the panelists and the actors. Please register here. For more information on the full EU Day 2021 schedule of events, please see here.

To learn about the Classics Library collection at the University of Illinois, please see here. The Classics Library also has nine LibGuides by sub-topic.
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