Ellen McLaughlin
Ellen McLaughlin (born November 9, 1957) is an American playwright, adapter, actress, and teacher. She is especially known for her modern adaptations of Greek tragedies and for originating the role of the Angel in Angels in America. Her work combines poetic language, moral urgency, and theatrical daring.
Introduction
Ellen McLaughlin stands at a unique crossroads of theatre: she is both creator and performer, translator and innovator. Her distinctive voice breathes new life into classical narratives while engaging contemporary concerns of identity, war, loss, and power. Through her adaptations of Greek drama and her original works, McLaughlin invites audiences to ponder the old worlds in new light—and to hear echoes of our own moment in myth.
Early Life and Family
Ellen McLaughlin was born on November 9, 1957 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Charles Capen McLaughlin, a history professor and editor, and Ann Landis, an English professor and novelist.
She pursued higher education at Yale University, earning her B.A. in 1980.
Career and Achievements
Acting Career
McLaughlin is also an accomplished actress. Her most renowned acting credit is originating the role of the Angel in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, participating from its earliest workshops through the Broadway run.
She has appeared on Broadway in both Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika. A Delicate Balance, Ghosts, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Homebody/Kabul.
Her screen credits are more limited but include film projects like Everything Relative and The Bed You Sleep In, and guest appearances on TV such as Law & Order.
Playwriting & Adaptation
McLaughlin’s most distinctive contribution to theatre is her work adapting classic Greek drama. From 1992 onward, she began writing versions of tragedies—Electra, Iphigenia, The Persians, Oedipus, and others—reshaping them for modern audiences.
Her original and adapted plays include:
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A Narrow Bed
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Tongue of a Bird
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Infinity’s House
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The Trojan Women (her adaptation)
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Helen
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The Persians
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Oedipus
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Ajax in Iraq (a modern response via adaptation)
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Septimus and Clarissa, Penelope, Blood Moon, The Oresteia among others
Her adaptations often start from reading many English translations of the original, then re-casting them—sometimes introducing liberties while preserving structural and thematic integrity.
Her works have been produced Off-Broadway, in regional theaters, and internationally.
Teaching & Influence
McLaughlin has been a Professor of Playwriting at Barnard College since 1995. Yale School of Drama and Princeton University.
She is a member of New Dramatists and has served on boards of theatrical organizations, contributing to the development of new plays and dramatists.
Historical & Artistic Context
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McLaughlin’s career unfolded during a time of renewed interest in classical adaptation and re-interpretation, especially in late 20th / early 21st century American theatre. Her work stands among those seeking to make ancient texts resonate with contemporary audiences.
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Her dual identity as actor and playwright follows a tradition in theatre of practitioners who embody both creation and performance, enriching each role.
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Her use of Greek tragedy as a lens to examine modern issues (war, displacement, power) places her among writers who see mythology as a living, malleable resource rather than a museum relic.
Legacy and Influence
Ellen McLaughlin is, for many, a leading voice in adapting classical drama for modernity. She has introduced Greek tragedy to new audiences while retaining emotional power and structural clarity.
Her teaching has influenced a generation of playwrights who view adaptation, translation, and classical engagement as viable paths for new work. Her performances and creative leadership bridge the gap between acting and writing.
Her versions of The Trojan Women, Oedipus, The Oresteia, Helen and others are frequently chosen in theaters that wish to combine theatrical risk with intellectual depth.
Personality, Values & Character
McLaughlin’s work reflects rigor, integrity, and empathy. Her adaptations are not mere translations but conversations across centuries—balancing fidelity and invention.
She seems to value the moral stakes of theatre: many of her plays address suffering, culpability, justice, and the experience of those at the margins. Her project Ajax in Iraq (for example) uses classical form to speak into modern conflict.
Her dual identity as performer and author suggests a belief that writing is bound to voice and embodiment—not mere abstraction.
Famous Quotes of Ellen McLaughlin
While McLaughlin is more known for her work than quotable lines, here are a few remarks from interviews and biographies:
“My work is strongly influenced by the Greek dramatists.”
She has commented that in adapting she reads “as many English translations as possible” before beginning her own version, allowing multiple voices to inform her adaptation.
McLaughlin describes Ajax in Iraq as an effort to bring ancient forms to bear on contemporary moral crisis, asserting that tragedy continues to be urgent and alive.
These reflect her attitude toward adaptation, responsibility in theater, and the enduring relevance of classical art.
Lessons from Ellen McLaughlin
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Dialogue with the past enriches the present.
Her life’s work shows that revisiting and reinterpreting classic texts can illuminate contemporary issues. -
Be a maker and a doer.
By both performing and writing, McLaughlin embodies a deeper understanding of theatrical possibility. -
Respect structure and feel freedom.
Her adaptations often preserve the core architecture of the original, even while introducing new language, perspective, or moral dimension. -
Teaching extends legacy.
Her commitment to mentoring new playwrights underscores that art thrives when shared. -
Art must confront pain.
Many of her works lean into tragedy, suffering, accountability—pointing toward theater’s role as moral mirror. -
Bridge worlds with humility.
She steps into ancient texts not as conqueror, but as interlocutor—willing to listen, transform, and hand over space to voices of old.
Conclusion
Ellen McLaughlin is a living testament to the vitality of classical drama in modern hands. Her adaptations do not fossilize myth—they revivify it, allowing old gods, sufferings, and reckonings to speak to us anew. As actress, writer, and teacher, she embodies the idea that stories are living things—renewed every time they are retold.