Students of the Department of English, AIUB, had a wonderful and enriching experience at the event titled “From Page to Stage: Oedipus Rex in Theatre.” As part of their academic engagement, students enrolled in the “Appreciation of Drama” and “Classical Literature” courses attended a live performance of Sophocles’ renowned tragedy Oedipus Rex on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Bangladesh Mohila Samiti, Bailey Road, Dhaka.

The excursion was specially organized by the respective course teachers Touhida Easmin and Sabrina Karim, Assistant Professor, Department of English, AIUB,  to offer the students a valuable opportunity to move beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom and engage with literature as a dynamic and living art form. For many students, this was their first opportunity to experience a classical drama performed live on stage, making the visit both academically meaningful and personally memorable.

Studying Oedipus Rex in the classroom had already introduced students to its major themes, characters, conflicts, and dramatic elements. However, witnessing the play on stage provided a deeper understanding of how voice, expression, movement, lighting, staging, and performance can transform a written text into a vivid theatrical experience.

The event also strengthened students’ appreciation of theatre as a living form of literature rather than merely a written text. Seeing the tragedy unfold through the combined power of performance and stagecraft allowed students to connect their academic learning with a real-world theatrical experience. The students look forward to more such enriching opportunities in the future - experiences where literature can be explored not only through books, slides, and classrooms, but also through the living art of performance.