A group of students from the Frederick Douglas Academy in Harlem performed Homer’s Iliad at the Onassis Foundation in New York. The preformance followed an initiative of the director and professor of classical studies in New York University, Peter Meineck. According to VOA, Peter Meineck is the founder of Aquila. Aquila was established in 1991 in London and is now based in New York City. Aquila is dedicated to the reinterpretation of classical drama and its mission is to bring the greatest works to the greatest number.
The performance of “Iliad: Book One” by students from the Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem is the culmination of an innovative educational program created by Aquila Theatre. Students develop style and technique by learning and performing the works of ancient Greek drama. The program and performance are sponsored by the Onassis Foundation, the second such program they have sponsored. The first concluded in a production of Antigone.
Frederick Douglass Academy is a public middle and high school in Harlem, New York. It was founded in 1991 with the goal of providing a rich, vigorous, and challenging academic curriculum that will prepare students to enter colleges of their choice. All students are expected to graduate from high school and attend college.
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