The Oedipus Project: Climate Crisis at Georgetown University

Join the Earth Commons Institute, The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, and Theater of War Productionsfor a live dramatic reading of scenes from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, culminating in a guided audience discussion–catalyzed and framed by the ancient play–about climate change, ethical leadership, and ecological justice. Through performance and conversation, we will confront urgent questions of leadership, truth, public health, and collective responsibility and consider what this ancient story reveals about caring for our Common Home today.This event will take place in Gaston Hall and will also be streamed live for a global audience.

Why Now

At a time when environmental disruption, public health crises, and social division demand deeper civic courage, this project brings the arts into urgent dialogue with the challenges shaping our shared Common Home. It builds on a growing partnership between Earth Commons and The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics (The Lab), under the artistic leadership of Earth Commons Faculty Fellow Derek Goldman (Artistic & Executive Director of The Lab), which has convened artists, scientists, policymakers, and students at the intersection of performance, climate, sustainability, and global health—through initiatives such as the global youth climate project We Hear You and collaborations with institutions including The Kennedy Center, the Royal Dramatic Theatre of Sweden, and partners in Qatar and Greece.

The presentation of Theater of War’s Oedipus Project launches a new multi-year partnership with Theater of War Productions. In addition to bringing its acclaimed model of dramatic reading and facilitated dialogue to campus, the collaboration will develop a new co-production inspired by The Trial and Death of Socrates, blending classical texts, embodied perspective-taking, and civic dialogue to deepen empathy and collective responsibility in response to today’s intertwined environmental and social challenges.

The Play

Sophocles’ Oedipus the King tells the story of an overconfident ruler during the time of a great plague, who refuses to listen to trusted advisors, ignores prophecy, and—after launching an investigation—discovers that he is the source of the contagion that is ravaging his people and his land. Upon uncovering the truth about himself, his willful blindness to the truth, and his role in the disaster, the king loses nearly everything—his crown, his wife, his power, his country, his honor—and wanders off into exile, a fate considered worse than death in ancient Greece. Oedipus the King is a timeless story about leadership, prophecy, accountability, intergenerational curses, willful blindness, and the fleeting possibility of planning for future generations and averting disaster before it’s too late.

The Discussion

Following a live reading of selected scenes, community panelists respond with personal reflections, connecting the 2,500-year-old story to contemporary experiences of climate change, ecological disruption, and public health crises. Guided by Theater of War Productions’ Artistic Director Bryan Doerries, the audience is then invited into a facilitated dialogue designed to foster shared reflection and collective witness. The full program runs approximately 2.5 hours.

About Theater of War Productions

Theater of War Productions collaborates with leading film, theater, and television actors to present dramatic readings of classical and modern texts as catalysts for guided public dialogue on urgent social and public health issues. Blending live performance with facilitated conversation, the company helps communities confront challenges such as war, mental health, addiction, displacement, gun violence, and the lingering impacts of the pandemic—fostering empathy and breaking down stigma across differences. Over the past fifteen years, more than 200 acclaimed actors have participated in its projects, and through its virtual “Digital Amphitheater” model, Theater of War has reached more than 350,000 people in over 100 countries in partnership with major cultural, academic, and civic institutions worldwide.

Attend in person in Gaston Hall or join virtually from anywhere in the world.

DC Climate Week is not responsible for this event. It is organized by the organizing group, and being listed on the DCCW calendar is not an endorsement of content or partners.