Georgetown University hosted a special performance of Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” on April 21, featuring actor Jesse Eisenberg, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, and other public figures as part of DC Climate Week.
The event took place in Gaston Hall and was organized by the Earth Commons Institute for Environment & Sustainability and the Laboratory for Global Performance & Politics, together with Theater of War Productions. The performance aimed to connect ancient Greek tragedy to contemporary issues such as climate change, ecological disaster, ethical leadership, and environmental justice.
Jesse Eisenberg led the cast as King Oedipus while Dr. Fauci portrayed Tiresias, the prophet who predicts Oedipus’ downfall. Senator Schumer took on the role of the Chorus. The scenes were read from a new translation by Bryan Doerries, director and artistic director at Theater of War Productions.
“We rely on science, on data, on the hard facts — they are essential,” said Peter Marra, dean of the Earth Commons Institute during his introduction. “But facts alone are not enough, and this is why we also work in the arts and humanities — so we can feel what these issues mean.”
Audience participation was encouraged through reflection periods that included students and faculty members such as Megan Lu (C’28), alumna Michaela Harrison (SFS’92), and professor Megan Lickley. Community members discussed declining trust in scientific fact, political leadership gaps regarding environmental concerns, burdens faced by future generations, and hope for progress.
Derek Goldman, professor at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and College of Arts & Sciences as well as artistic director at The Lab said: “We see all of this work as deeply connected to Georgetown’s core value of cura personalis — care for the whole person… The fact that… so many of you have cared enough to show up — both in person and across the globe on Zoom — speaks to the urgency and appetite for this kind of communal civic forum.”
