The company Outside the Wire, based in Brooklyn, New York, has been using ancient Greek tragedy to address modern-day social issues. Philoctetes, the hero of Sophocles' tragedy, was alone on an island, for a decade, abandoned by his comrades. Another hero, Ajax, shortly before the end of the Trojan War, went mad and committed suicide.

These ancient plays timelessly and universally depict the psychological and physical wounds inflicted upon warriors by war. Nearly two millennia after they were first performed on stage, the plays presently form the basis of the Theater of War programme, which since 2008 has presented excerpts of the works to more than 60,000 US military service members, veterans and their families.

Sophocles’ plays create a common vocabulary for openly discussing the impact of war on individuals, families, and communities; they generate compassion and understanding between diverse audiences. Therefore, after the performance, soldiers and civilians are encouraged to share their own traumatic experiences as part of the process of catharsis through ancient drama.