“Ajax in Iraq” cast members rehearse ahead of the Nov. 6-9 performances in SIU Carbondale’s McLeod Theater. (Photo by Jessica Danielle Edmond)
October 24, 2025
‘Ajax in Iraq’ to address trauma and cost of war at SIU’s McLeod Theater
CARBONDALE, Ill. — A play with parallel narratives about people living through trauma and the toll exacted by war is set for Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s McLeod Theater, Nov. 6-9.
The School of Theater and Dance will showcase “Ajax in Iraq,” playwright Ellen McLaughlin’s mashup of Ajax, an ancient Greek military hero, and A.J., a female American soldier serving in the Iraq War.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6-8 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 9. The play deals with mature themes and subjects, and it is not recommended for children under 13 years old.
The psychological costs of war
James Reifinger, School of Theater and Dance director, noted the production is a “is a deeply human story about courage, pain and the cost of war.”
“I hope audiences leave reflecting on how we care for those who serve. It’s been an inspiring collaboration with our guest director, Omiyemi (Artisia) Green, and a powerful learning experience for our students.”
Green, a professor of theater and Africana studies and provost faculty fellow at William & Mary, hopes audiences “leave with a renewed sense of the costs of war — not just for soldiers, but for all of us who are complicit in or shaped by the system.”
“I want them to feel both discomfort and recognition, to question how we treat the wounded — physically, morally and spiritually,” she said. “If people walk out talking about conscience, compassion and care, then we’ve done our job.”
Green said she is drawn to how the production “collapses time between ancient Greece and modern Iraq.”
“It’s a chorus of soldiers and civilians across centuries, all wrestling with what it means to survive systems that don’t always see your humanity. The writing is poetic, and it gives voice to the people we often hear about but rarely hear from — women in combat, the soldiers who come home changed and those caught in the machinery of war. It’s both epic and intimate, mythic and contemporary.”
SIU holds a ‘special place’
Green returns to SIU Carbondale after directing “Wedding Band” in fall 2023, where she encountered “a courageous community of artist scholars who led with empathy and discipline — qualities that are essential for a work like ‘Ajax in Iraq.’”
“Working on this show felt like returning to an unfinished conversation, but with a new generation of students,” she said. “There’s also something deeply gratifying about contributing to an educational theater program that’s investing in socially engaged theater — work that doesn’t shy away from hard truths.”
Approaching production ‘with craft and care’
Inspired by interviews with Iraq War veterans and their families, the play explores the timeless struggle soldiers face in trying to make sense of war. Its themes and scenes make the production an “incredibly demanding piece” — emotionally, intellectually and technically, Green said.
The actors and audience are asked to “sit inside the moral injury, gendered violence and the psychological toll of service,” she said.
“Given the play’s difficult themes, we proactively engaged CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) to be on call and ready to provide support for students during the rehearsal process,” she said. “And great thought is being given to how to hold the story well and honor the weight of this narrative without reproducing harm. My goal is to avoid sensationalizing trauma — particularly the gendered violence — but to humanize the people who live through it. That’s challenging, but it’s also the work theater was made for.”
The students are “leaning into the physical and emotional demands of the piece with heart and embracing challenges with openness and curiosity,” Green said. “It’s a process of discovery, and the ensemble’s sense of purpose is palpable.”
The cast comprises:
- Ajax — Gabriel Pryor, undergraduate third-year, theater performance, Camdenton, Missouri.
- A.J. — Kaitlyn Rose, undergraduate second-year, musical theater, Kankakee, Illinois.
- Athena — Lilie Lim, undergraduate first-year, musical theater, Hot Springs, Arkansas.
- Tecmessa/Rebo — Ty Lunn, undergraduate third year, theater, Swansea, Illinois.
- Odysseus/Pisoni/Nog Dream Soldier — Dwayne Freeman, undergraduate fourth year, theater, Chicago.
- Connie Mangus — Israeli Jones, undergraduate fourth year, musical theater, Sikeston, Missouri.
- Sickles/chorus/Nog Dream Solider — Amelia Warner, undergraduate fourth year, musical theater, Indianapolis.
- Gertrude/chorus — Apurwa Sinhapura, undergraduate second year, mathematics, Sri Lanka.
- Abrams/patient — Kyla Hunt, undergraduate second year, musical theater, Memphis, Tennessee.
- Charles/chorus/second man in the dark — Seth Worthington, undergraduate third year, musical theater, Paris, Illinois.
- Sergeant/first man in the dark/Teucer — Cole Wimberly, undergraduate first year, theater, Salem, Illinois.
- Captain/therapist/Nog Dream Soldier/minister — Joshua Ramirez, undergraduate first year, theater, Carbondale.
Balancing act
Green has been on campus since late September, while fulfilling her responsibilities at William & Mary. It’s a balancing act, Green said, but being “being a research-active faculty member means maintaining a national — and often international — presence.”
“For those of us in the arts, that means directing, creating and collaborating beyond our home institutions. These projects are part of how we generate new knowledge and bring that experience back to our students,” she said. “Technology makes it easier logistically, but more importantly, both universities recognize that this kind of engaged, outward-facing work enriches the classroom and the broader field. It’s demanding, yes — but it’s deeply fulfilling.”
Ticket information
Tickets for all of the School of Theater and Dance’s remaining productions are available online, by phone at 618-453-5741 and at the McLeod Theater Box Office. Individual tickets are $25 for adults 21 and older, $20 for senior citizens 55 and older, $10 for students age 13-21 and $8 for children 12 and younger.
Tickets can also be purchased on the night of the performance. The McLeod Theater Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and one hour before each performance.