Lees-McRae Theatre Arts to present Sophoclean tragedy “Antigone”
Understood to be the second-oldest surviving play by Sophocles, the ancient Greek tragic poet, “Antigone” tells the story of its titular character, a princess who defies the decree of her uncle the king to stand by her brother who is accused of being a traitor after his death.
Antigone’s tenacity is front and center in this production by Lees-McRae Theatre Arts which debuts in Hayes Auditorium later this month. Director and Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Josh Yoder will direct the play based upon Nobel Laureate Anne Carson’s 2015 translation, a work that Yoder describes as spare, modern, vivid, and raw.
“We want our students to tackle a variety of genres and styles of performance during their college careers. Greek Tragedy is about the big stuff: life and death, war and peace, fate, legacy, and so on. It's a larger-than-life genre that requires a mythic mindset and an extreme level of emotional commitment. The stakes for the characters cannot be higher, so tragedy challenges actors to really go there,” Yoder said. “‘Antigone’ is a play about civil disobedience. It's timeless and timely for the same reason: It's the story of young woman who has the courage to stand up to injustice. She fights for what she believes in, choosing mercy and compassion over complacency. She knows the dire consequences of her action, and she does it anyway. Her courage is inspiring.”
There will be three evening performances of “Antigone” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19–Saturday, Nov. 21, and one matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22. Tickets for all performances are on sale now.
