African Origins

"Memnon" Webinar Teaching Resources

From an NCLG -ACL collaboration: 

Receptions of Mythology; Adjusting the Lens

Professors Power and Cofield have provided profile photos with permissions. Vase Image: A Battle from the Trojan War in which two of the war's greatest heroes, Achilles and Memnon, clash in the presence of their mothers, the goddesses Thetis and Eos. Each warrior has his chariot standing by, with charioteers at the ready. Inscriptions, in the Corinthian alphabet, identify the figures. Walters Art Museum 48.2230 CC0 1.0

A webinar (Jan. 2025) featured an interview with internationally acclaimed playwright Will Power, the author of Memnon, an exciting new play centering on the important role of the Ethiopian King Memnon in the Trojan War and a second interview with the Classical Theater of Harlem's Associate Artistic Director Carl Cofield, who has directed numerous classic dramas.  This play was premiered by the CTH at The J. Paul Getty Villa Museum's Greek Theater in September, 2024 and is headed for further production.  Below are resources and various suggestions for teaching applications from The Getty and from teachers who have incorporated this Greek Theater performance into their classroom curriculum. Also included are references to Memnon in literature and art and ways to incorporate more diverse characters from myth and legend into curricula from the webinar planners which can be used with students at different levels. This Memnon story also offers topics for classroom discussion that are still relevant today, such as issues of personal identity, obligations of family and allies, and compromise and diplomacy versus war.

Memnon: New Play Revitalizes Ancient Story

This is a 2025 NCLG-ACL Webinar featuring powerful interviews with playwright Will Power, Classical Theatre of Harlem Director Carl Cofield followed by two teachers who discuss some methods and resources. 


The Memnon Webinar: Hear the recording!

NB: This is very large .MOV file, so it may take a few longer to load and begin.


The Memnon Story and Receptions Post Webinar Resources

These resources are a work in progress. We have been gathering links and exploring texts and websites for several months and plan to continue this work. We invite you to consider sharing and collaborating with us! Please do bookmark this page and return in the future to see updates on new materials and opportunities for discussion.  

Recommendations for Exploring Memnon: The Play and the Hero

To fully appreciate Memnon—both as a play and as a legendary hero—we recommend the following engaging approaches. By engaging with these diverse resources, you can develop a rich and well-rounded understanding of Memnon’s profound cultural and educational importance.


We have been collecting resources and entries which fall under several topics, such as listed here. 

You might wish to start with our Linktr.ee Memnon4Educators (accessed below), and then explore further as you....... 

CLICK HERE to access all the following types of documents and folders:

**Video Clips: Discover dynamic performances and insightful analyses of Memnon through curated video clips. These provide an exciting window into the dramatic portrayal and thematic richness of the story.

**Link Tree with Visual Previews of Resources: (click Memnon4Educators below) Explore captivating images and artistic representations of Memnon, spanning from antiquity to modern interpretations. These visuals bring the hero and his legacy to life. Linktr.ee also includes access to many types of museum and educator created resources. See link below.

**Recommended Research Links: Access a thoughtfully curated selection of online resources, offering valuable context about the play, created by Doctor Shelby Brown, a J. Paul Getty Museum Education Specialist for Academic and Adult Audiences at the Getty Villa.  Investigate teacher curated resources that will inspire your classrooms! You are sure to become fascinated by Memnon’s mythological and historical background, and contemporary perspectives on his significance!

**Student Centered Resources, in ongoing development....Be inspired by creative and thoughtful student projects that could accompany a Memnon unit of study. These samples show how others have connected with the material in meaningful and imaginative ways.

**Scholarly Research: Dive into some academic articles and studies that examine Memnon’s role in mythology, literature, and history. These resources highlight his lasting impact and relevance across cultures.

Please collaborate with us to help us grow this resource bank, especially by sharing classroom content, plans, activities and slides.  We are also planning a collaborative gathering this summer at ACL Institute!


Memnon4Educators

linktr.ee with numerous resource links