Sophocles' AJAX Comes to Brooklyn Public Library's Crown Heights Branch

NYC's Public Artist in Residence Bryan Doerries and Theater of War Productions will bring together actors Reg E. Cathey and Amy Ryan alongside City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (District 45) for a dramatic reading of Sophocles' Ajax, followed by an open discussion with veterans, members of Save our Streets (S.O.S), and the Brooklyn community to explore the searing impact of violence and war on individuals, families, young people, and communities. Deputy Mayor Richard Buery and Tom Finkelpearl, Commissioner, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs will also be in attendance.

The event will be co-facilitated by community activists Hailey Nolasco, project planner for the Bedford-Stuyvesant Anti-Violence Project and David Gaskin, program manager at S.O.S. Crown Heights. Both Hailey and David have dedicated their work to helping communities heal, following their personal experiences with violence in their neighborhoods.

This is one of over 60 events Bryan Doerries and Theater of War Productions will stage in all five boroughs of New York City as part of Bryan's appointment as the latest NYC Public Artist in Residence (PAIR), a joint appointment with the NYC Department of Veterans' Services and Department of Cultural Affairs.

This event is hosted and co-organized by Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) as part of their mission to engage diverse communities in discussions on the issues of our time.

ABOUT THEATER OF WAR PRODUCTIONS:

Theater of War Productions is a social impact company that uses theater and other media to help communities address pressing public health and social issues such as combat-related psychological injury, suicide, end of life care, prison reform, political violence, natural and manmade disaster, domestic violence, substance abuse and addiction.

ABOUT PAIR:
The two-year residency will bring theater projects and community conversations that address critical public health and social issues to all five boroughs. Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is a co-producer of the project as part of its role as a resource and advocate for civic engagement, education, artistic expression, and fostering public discourse. In partnership with the NYC Department of Veterans' Services and Department of Cultural Affairs, this city-wide project is made possible through a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

Launched by the Department of Cultural Affairs in 2015, New York City's PAIR is a municipal artist residency program that embeds artists in city government to propose and implement creative solutions to pressing civic challenges. PAIR artists create lasting impact by working collaboratively and in open-ended processes to build community bonds, open channels for dialogue, and create new possibilities for those who experience and participate in the work.

ABOUT BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY:
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL's eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: www.bklynlibrary.org

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