Penn Museum explains tragedy through art

Sometimes the best way to understand the past and its implications is to look to the arts.

The Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology hosted “Cato: A Tragedy,” a dramatic reading of scenes from Joseph Addison’s 18th-century play, as part of its commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. “Cato” follows the life of the Roman senator Cato, who chose to end his life rather than subject to the tyranny of the emperor Julius Caesar. The play’s major themes, which include virtue, sacrifice and civic duty, were linked to the impact and remembrance of the attacks on Sept. 11.

The performance was presented by Outside the Wire, LLC, a company based in New York that uses theater and other media to address social issues. Dramatic readings of classic works and performances of plays are designed to inspire town-hall style discussions about sensitive topics. The cast included actor Reg E. Cathey, best known for his roles on the television series Oz and The Wire.

Following an abridged version of “Cato,” a diverse panel described its reactions to the play and its ties to 9/11. Among the panelists was Sean Casey, a captain in the United States Army who has served five years of duty in Iraq. He addressed the role of civic service in “Cato” and its realities in the war in Iraq.

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“I didn’t fight for you … I did it for my brothers and my sisters,” Casey said to a hushed audience. Most soldiers don’t actually want to die for their country, he added.

In response to questions raised by the audience about America’s military reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks, Casey refuted the idea that the country rushed unnecessarily into combat. “We would hope that our leadership exhausts every avenue to avoid war,” he said.

Liz White, another panelist and a member of the American Red Cross, drew parallels between Cato’s struggle with the pains of war and those faced by Americans in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. White led mental health efforts right after the attacks at ground zero, a place she described as “a warzone with no answers to ‘why?’”

Other panelists included Carolyn Marvin, a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication, who discussed the American flag as a symbol of sacrifice and its role in unifying Americans after the Sept. 11 attacks.

“This flag is about our group, and all of the members in it are important,” Marvin said of America as a country. “Our group is still alive.”

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