THE SONG OF ROME
The Song of Rome explores the fall of the democratic republic in ancient Rome. In this companion piece to their critically acclaimed play An Iliad, co-creators Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson delve into Virgil’s Aeneid, toggling between between past and present, illuminating power dynamics that feel as real and resonant today as two millenniums ago.
What truths do the classics hold, and what has been obscured? “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” but who is allowed to tell the story? And what motivates the narrative?
Denis O'Hare and Lisa Peterson are founding members of Homer's Coat, a creative collective that explores foundational literature. An actor and a director respectively, they both develop, write and edit the pieces they make together. The creative process differs according to subject matter but the lens through which they view the theatrical medium makes for unique, energetic, imaginative performative experiences. Together they created the stage piece, An Iliad, over a period of 5 years, utilizing video, video transcriptions, improvisation, original music, and diligent research. Their latest work, The Good Book, examines faith and the creation of the Christian bible over centuries.
Lisa Peterson
Lisa Peterson is the co-writer of An Iliad, the OBIE and Lortel Award-winning Solo Performance that she created with Denis O’Hare, based on Homer’s epic poem. In addition to many classic plays, Lisa has directed the premieres of new works by Donald Margulies, Tony Kushner, Beth Henley, Naomi Wallace, Caryl Churchill, Janusz Glowacki, Marlane Meyer, Culture Clash, Jose Rivera and many others at theaters including NYTW (OBIE for directing Light Shining in Buckinghamshire) Public, Vineyard, MTC, Primary Stages, Mark Taper Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, Guthrie, ATL, Berkeley Rep, McCarter, Arena Stage, Geffen, Hartford Stage, Seattle Rep and many more.
Denis O’Hare
Denis O'Hare is an actor, writer and activist who lives in Paris, France. Mr. O'Hare has appeared extensively on Broadway and Off-Broadway. He won a Tony Award for his performance in Richard Greenberg’s Take Me Out, a Drama Desk Award for his role in Sweet Charity as well as an OBIE award for An Iliad. Denis has appeared in such films as Late Night, The Goldfinch, Swallow, The Day Shall Come, Milk, A Mighty Heart; Michael Clayton; Duplicity; 21 Grams; Garden State; Half Nelson; Dallas Buyers Club; Lizzie Borden; The Proposal; and The Changeling. His television appearances include 5 seasons on American Horror Story, 2 seasons on True Blood, and multiple appearances on The Good Wife, The Comedians, This Is Us and Broad City. As a writer, Denis recently had his first screenplay produced. His movie, "The Parting Glass" is available on iTunes and other platforms. With his writing partner, Lisa Peterson, he is the co-author of the play, An Iliad which has been performed throughout the world – most recently in Shanghai and Paris. Denis and Lisa also wrote The Good Book which premiered at The Court Theatre in Chicago in 2015 and enjoyed a critically acclaimed run at Berkeley Rep in the spring of 2019. Currently, Lisa and Denis are working on a new commission: a piece about the fall of the Roman Empire. In addition, Mr. O’Hare is writing a novel. He and his husband, Hugo Redwood have one son, Declan.
Creative Team
Denis O’Hare, Creator and Performer
Lisa Peterson, Creator and Director
Rachel Hauck, Scenic Design
Scott Zielinski, Lighting Design
Mark Bennett, Sound Design
Development & Production History
Spoleto Festival USA (World Premiere)
McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton, NJ)
ArtsEmerson at Kasteel Well (Emerson College, The Netherlands)
