Dr Anthony Fauci, the former chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, made his acting debut on Tuesday night, playing the blind prophet Tiresias in a dramatic reading of Sophocles's Oedipus the King at Georgetown University in Washington. The 85-year-old scientist, who rose to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, donned sunglasses for the role, prompting cheers and applause from the audience.
The performance was organised by Theater of War Productions, a company that combines dramatic readings with town hall-style discussions. The cast included Hollywood star Jesse Eisenberg as Oedipus and Senate Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer. The event aimed to draw parallels between the 2,500-year-old Greek tragedy and the modern climate crisis, highlighting themes of denial, arrogant leadership, and ecological collapse.
In an interview before the show, Fauci, a classics major in college, reflected on the play's relevance to climate change. 'When you see something that's potentially as destructive as climate change, it's right in front of you, you're seeing it, and then there's this constant denial about it,' he said. 'An unusual way to put that in the context of a Greek tragedy but it works.'
Eisenberg, known for films such as The Social Network, described Oedipus as a character who 'won't listen to reason, he ignores evidence and demonises anybody who tries to contradict what he assumes.' He noted that performing alongside Fauci added 'all sorts of other resonance that can be quite allegorically potent.'
The Oedipus Project, originally developed during the Covid-19 lockdown to discuss public health, was reframed for DC Climate Week. Bryan Doerries, artistic director of Theater of War, said the play asks 'whether it's possible for us to wake up before it's too late and make a change, not just for ourselves, but for generations to come.'
