MADISON, WIS. – The Wisconsin National Guard will host two performances of the Theater of War: Soldiers and Citizens Tour at the DeForest Area High School Performing Arts Center Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The tour will present dramatic readings of Sophocles’ “Ajax” – an ancient Green tragedy about the suicide of a great, respected warrior – to both military and civilian audiences in an effort to engage communities in powerful town hall discussions about the visible and invisible wounds of war. Notable actor David Stathairn, who played roles in “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “Good Night and Good Luck,” and “Lincoln,” will be joined on-stage by Erica Newhouse, known for her roles in “Law and Order,” “The Good Wife,” and “Blue Bloods.”

The readings and subsequent town hall panel discussions are intended to foster understanding and compassion while mobilizing citizens and resources to help improve the lives of service members, veterans, their families and people in their communities.

The National Guard will host the event in collaboration with Outside the Wire, an organization that uses theater and a variety of other media to help communities address pressing public health and social issues, such as combat-related psychological injury and suicide.

Each performance is approximately 90 minutes, and a discussion with panelists from local civilian and military communities and a facilitated town-hall style discussion will follow. The 10 a.m. performance is intended mostly for members of the military, and the 2 p.m. performance is intended for the community at large, though all are welcome to attend either performance.

Outside the Wire, and its partners Massachusetts General Hospital Academy, the National Council for Behavioral Health, and Points of Light are the recipients of a two-year grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to present the Theater of War: Soldiers and Citizens Tour to National Guard and Reserve units and their communities across the United States.

Admission is free, though attendees should register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/wisconsin-family-program-397615964?s=27422775. For more information, call the Wisconsin National Guard Family Program at 1-800-292-9464, option 3 or visit https://www.outsidethewirellc.com/projects/theater-of-war/overview.