“Triumphant! Ethan McSweeny packs plenty of spectacle in both the show's physical aspects and the forthright potency of Aeschylus' descriptions of the carnage of war; they contain a harrowing beauty that grips the senses.”
Jayne Blanchard,
The Washington Times
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One of only seven surviving plays by the “Father of Tragedy,” Aeschylus’ The Persians is a cautionary tale pondering the perils of unbridled pride and overreaching power. A veteran of the war between the Athenians and the Persians, Aeschylus dramatized the conflict by writing from the viewpoint of his former enemy, the vanquished Persians. Evoking sorrow for the once-powerful Persia, Aeschylus depicts the collapse of an empire felled by greed and arrogance. As associate director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company from 1993-1997, Ethan McSweeny assistant directed more than 20 productions on the Theatre’s mainstage. His 2001 Broadway production of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man received a Tony nomination for best revival, and The New York Times called his previous production of The Persians “more than ‘relevant’ and ‘timely.’ It is heart-wrenching.”

This production is made possible in part through the generous support of Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation(USA).

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