Each fall, this series features a classical tragedy or comedy in the Getty Villa's dramatic Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater, an outdoor venue modeled after ancient Greek and Roman theaters.

Parking is $10 after 5:00 p.m.

Directed by Anne Bogart
Created and Performed by SITI Company
Translation by Aaron Poochigian

Thursdays–Saturdays, September 4–27, 2014; 8:00 p.m.

Getty Villa, the Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater
Running time is approximately 90 minutes, no intermission.

New York-based SITI Company, one of America's leading theater ensembles, returns to the Getty Villa this fall to perform Persians, an emotional story of war, victory, and loss experienced by an imagined Persian court. In this sole surviving Greek tragedy about a historical event—the battle of Salamis in 480 B.C.—Aeschylus glorifies the Athenian victors but also humanizes the defeated Persians, emphasizing the universal impact of war on family and community.

Directed by the company's artistic director Anne Bogart, the play features a new translation by Aaron Poochigian and sound design by Tony Award-winner Darron L West. "In approaching Persians, we are attempting to chart nothing less than the birth of drama, the proverbial big bang of the theater, from procession and ritual celebration to acts of fictional embodiment of events and relationships," says Bogart.

See what the critics are saying!

"Persians is not an easy play and SITI is a complicated company, but if you're up for a work that challenges an audience rather than being dependent on it - it's a remarkable journey."
— Anthony Byrnes, KCRW

"Bogart delivers more than her accustomed quotient of inventive stage coups. The processional entrance of Queen Atossa (Ellen Lauren) is an emblematically thrilling mix of directorial sleight-of-hand and clever costuming (by Nephelie Andonyadis), and the battle aria delivered by Will Bond (as the Messenger) is an affectively compelling lament on the horrors of battle."
— Bill Raden, LA Weekly

"SITI exhibits a genuine knack for melding the ancient with the avant-garde, ceremonial solemnity with abstract movement."
— Myron Meisel, Hollywood Reporter

"SITI...thoughtfully applies everything they know about acting technique to bring classical personages to life...The resulting work is inspirational, and absolutely, positively not to be missed."
— Bob Verini, Stage Raw

Read an interview between theater director Anne Bogart and Ralph Flores as they discuss the creative process behind the staging of Persians.

Read an interview with actor Ellen Lauren, who portrays the queen of Persia, about preparing for the role. Get answers to frequently asked questions about this performance.

See a list of previous outdoor theater productions at the Getty Villa.

How to Get Here
The Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, approximately 25 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. See Hours, Directions, Parking for directions and parking information.