The East Carolina University Program in Classical Studies produces a performance series featuring classical and classically themed literature. Literature, both poetry and prose, was most commonly performed in the ancient world. Comedies and tragedies were, of course, intended for performance on the stages of Athens, Syracuse, Rome and throughout the ancient Mediterranean. Beyond the theatrical genres, the earliest epics were composed orally and performed by bards such as Homer and Hesiod. We have reports of the historian Herodotus reading his history of the Persian Wars in public. Classical oratory was intended for the highly theatricalized spaces of the assembly, courtroom or senate. In short, performance was the norm for the delivery and reception of literature in the ancient world.

While the Classical Studies Program prides itself on our rigorous language and literature instruction in the classroom, where students read ancient authors in their original Greek and Latin, to confine these texts to the enclosed classroom is to fall short in our understanding of them. The Classics Performances aim to bring ancient literature to life to further our understanding of the texts and the cultures that produced them. Each performance is a collaboration between faculty and students who study the literature intensely as they prepare to perform it publicly.

The performances also seek to share the excitement of classical culture with the ECU and Greenville communities. As the University shapes itself to become a regional leader in the Arts, Culture and Quality of Life, the Classics program ensures that classical culture maintains its important place. The ancient works continue to teem with vitality. The most consistent feedback we get from our audiences is: "That was so entertaining!" To that end, we have worked hard to ensure that all our performances are free and easily accessible. 

At the same time, our faculty and students aim to educate the public about classical literature, art and culture. The knowledge developed by our faculty and students through reading, studying, rehearsing and performing these works comes straight to the audience. Well over 1,000 people have attended our performances since they began in 2009. We humbly believe that our work is scholarly and educational in the best sense of the words: the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge.

We invite you browse our performance archives and learn about the work we have been doing. Just click on each image below. And, please, come to our next show!