Written and directed by Alexander Lyras, the work-in-progress performances will take place at the Getty Villa on Friday, April 5, at 7 pm, Saturday, April 6, at 3 pm, and Sunday, April 7, at 3 pm. Tickets are free and can be reserved online. The play is co-produced by Matthew Quinn of Combined Artform.
In 342 BC, in the wilds of northern Greece, the greatest scientific mind to grace the ancient world collided with the most formidable conqueror history will ever know. A battle of wits unfolds between Aristotle, a radical Athenian philosopher, and a highly precocious, teenaged Alexander the Great, raising the question of whom, exactly, is teaching whom?
“It’s a rare thing in history when two figures of this stature crash into each other. When it comes to Aristotle and Alexander, one begins to wonder who exactly was teaching whom?” says Lyras.
The cast includes Nicky Clary, Andrew Byron, Joanna Kalafatis, and John Kapelos. The play will also feature an original score composed by Andreas Fevos, and video design by Jon Bonk.
For over a decade, Getty has hosted its Villa Theater Lab series, an exciting forum for reinterpreting classical theater. These workshops feature new translations of Greek and Roman plays and contemporary works inspired by ancient literature. Past performances have included The House of Baluyot, Medea Refracted, Letters from the Black Sea, Cassandra, an Agony, and more.
About the Production:
Alex Lyras (Writer/Director). Lyras’ most recent play, PLASTICITY, co-written with Robert McCaskill, premiered at the Hudson Theater in Los Angeles and earned an Ovation Award before transferring Off Broadway to the Greenwich House Theater. THE COMMON AIR, a play linking six characters by an airport delay, was developed with Combined Artform at the Theatre Asylum in LA, also won an Ovation Award before a lengthy Off Broadway run at 45 Bleecker Street Theater. UNEQUALIBRIUM was selected for publication in New Playwrights: Best Plays and Best Men’s Monologues For The Twenty First Century. Lyras has also written for television and film. His latest screenplay was optioned by Castle Rock.
Combined Artform is a live theater production company based in Los Angeles founded in 1998 by Matthew Quinn and Bertha Rodriguez. The Company has produced, co-produced, and presented numerous plays across theaters hubs in Hollywood, San Francisco, and New York City. Renowned for its expertise in the “Hollywood Fringe Festival” and the "Hollywood Encore Producers' Awards," the company has established itself as a key player in the industry. In 2023, Combined Artform inaugurated the "Hollywood Independent Theater Festival," featuring top festival shows from around the world and actively contributes to the success of independent theater, while also scouting for the SoHo Playhouse in New York City.