Thoughts about Antigone

Well what could I say about Antigone? It was a pretty good play but pretty darn dry. I know the play was based on dry material but I expected a little more action. The director seemed to mainly focus on getting the story across to the audience then concentrating on more movement. The director should be concentrating on a few more things then just that. They should also concentrate on how well the actions of the play are portrayed, were the movements good, was the play worth doing (does the topics interest the audience).

These would have been some good questions that the director could have asked himself in the making of this play. I think it might have been a good idea to just do another production altogether. But since this was the play being used the director might have thought about trying to spicing it up a bit. There was some very good acting which helped make the play some what successful. There was some good direction there, making sure all the actors were property in place at the proper times. That would have been a difficult task considering it was stage covered by audience members on all sides.

I think this play could have been appealing to some audience members in different part of the United States or maybe even the world. It just seemed that the play just was not weird enough for this group of people. Some different parts of the country actually really appreciate this kind of work.

All in all I thought this play was good but just a little to slow for me. I felt the actors did a good job really capturing the story. The scenery looked good and really helped set the mood. The lighting and sound was also excellent giving the story an intense feeling at times. I imagine this play would have been good for a crowd about 100 years ago. Things would have probably fit together a little better.

gone with the directing.. catchy I hope

There has been quite a bit of controversy towards this play. I myself am going to stay as neutral as I can possibly be. I will make sure this post is centered around the directing and critique that rather than stray and hurt a fellow classmates feelings. I understand that actors/actresses must follow the direction that they are given. I must say that I was impressed by the performances that many of my classmates gave, I was very impressed. None of my opinions on the directing have any threat on the performances themselves. I have to be honest about the directors choice in scenary. I was not impressed with the stage set, I did not enjoy having 3 sides to look at. I felt it was distracting, and not for me. I do know though, that other people enjoy being able to see what other audience members are thinking by their expressions. The hardest part for me in completely understanding the meaning behind this play was the non-existent stage props. It is easier for myself to imagine where the scene is supposed to take place and what the characters are supposed to be protraying when they have something more than their lines to make the story come to life. One thing that really did not work for me was the blocking, I was not able to see the actors expressions on their faces at different times. I really would have enjoyed seeing Antigone's expression at times when she was not yelling at someone else. I hope my opinions are not taken out of context. I really did enjoy the protrayal that everyone gave. I know Antigone is a very intense play and kudos to everyone for their performance. I can tell that lines were rehearsed and went over and over. No one went out of character and I really believed every character.

Thank you,
Tracy:)

Antigone

Blocking--constant motion--why?

Music--how was it conceived/used?

Why such a short run?

Casting?

Why the messenger and chorus in cahoots?

Why Creon only could talk to messenger/chorus?

Costumes? Half-modern half Greek?

Show in general--why half-modern, half-Greek?

What was theme/message of this show?

Exits--construction issues? Why were the exits so small?

Arena staging decision? Why?

Why minimal props?

Why color-blind casting?

WWII guards--costumes totally modern, not Greek . . . why?

zippers and boots--huh?

why did the director decide to do this show?

What were the artists trying to do?

What were the biggest challenges for the actors in this show?

Why did the adapter of the play choose to make this version?

What was the audience experience? why?

Why not use the actual lights on the poles as motivated lighting for certain scenes? Why not more dimming during the scene changes?


Bertolt Brecht--German playwright-director 1930's to 1950's . . . calling attention to the act of staging a play--big political motivations

Design- From the Inside

Okay, so the cool thing about writing about the design elements of Antigone is that I got to see the process of how they all came together. I've got the inside track, if you will. So here goes.

I thought our costumes for this show were awesome. As always, our designer, Sumi, did a great job with them. They all seemed the perfect cross between modern and period. Creon's headband was a nice touch; it hinted at his position without being too over the top. The nurse's outfit was simple and rather plain, just the way I thought it should be. And the guard uniforms actually looked official. I still have mine! But they wouldn't let me buy the hat or boots. I'll have to replace them... And I know it's not exactly costuming, but they were even so true to the spirit of the show to make sure that our hair fit. They sent me off to get an actual military haircut, and Tim (Haemon) was shipped off to the cosmetology department for a trim as well.

Another thing that I really enjoyed was the way that the stage was set up. The design of the set was fantastic. It was simple, just a square stage with four posts, but it worked really well. The designs on the floor were entrancing (at least to me... ooh, a butterfly!). And the most notable aspect of the way the staging was done, I loved the fact that the show was in the round. As an actor, I've never performed a show this way, but I can definitely see its appeal, especially in a space as intimate as our black box theater is. Though I'm sure that it was a different directing experience than most, as Rick was dealing with a 3D stage picture rather than a flat proscenium one.

And I really enjoyed the props that we used. There weren't many of them, but they were effective. The cards really gave a picture of who the guards were, playing cards while for the rest of the characters the world is crumbling around them. Not unlike Nero, I thought. I don't know where they got those handcuffs, but they were exquisite. Although they were continually pinching Antigone. (Sorry, Heather...) And all the rest were great too, from the handkerchiefs to James' notebook.

All in all, the design of this show worked hand in hand with the script to create a picture of tragedy that captured the spirit of Antigone excellently. Kudos to all those who helped us make it work.

Directing Antigone

It seems that in my absence on blogger, a little drama has erupted.... and not the drama we apprecieate... (haha a little pun on our class name and "fighting" drama).. whew... tough crowd.
Before I actually start my blog, I just want to do a prolouge. (ha wow, thats funny, im a poet and didnt even know it). I have read everything on here, and pretty much all the comments. I am swiss on this one, (neutral). I know a few people in this class from 1st term acting, but there are some I have never met. When I went to see this play, I was actually nervous about giving my opionion on it, because of the people actually in the play, are in our class, that Ive never met. I actually expressed my concern to someone (cant remember who), and finally decided that I will yes, give my opionion, but not say anything that may cause further.... frustrations. If, what I have to say, does cause offense, please remember that as a critique, and a student, I am not trying to attack anyone, and I really do understand how hard it is to be involved in a play, and I ask that you understand that I understand that.

When walking into Antigone, I was eager to see what Zimmer (the director) did for the play. As many of you know, in 1st term acting, we preformed dialouges from this exact play, so I am quite familiar with it and with Zimmer. I was first and foremost shocked at the layout. The arena seating, with 4 sides, I didnt like at first, but before I prejudged I gave it a chance. During the play, I have to say that I still didnt enjoy it. I thought that with the 2 benches the blocking was designed to fill up the whole stage. I almost felt like there was too much movement. I felt like the characters had to keep moving, because they had to entertain 4 sides. I sat there imagining what the blocking would have been like with say 3 sides. It was an interesting director choice, with the stage layout which I felt affected the blocking.

Another thing I was very shocked by was the music. From reading the other blogs I noticed that it was mentioned that it was the original score, but I have to say I wasnt a fan. I feel like the actors did not fit the music. *please remember my prolouge, im not attacking the actors* I feel like maybe the tempo and the acting did not fit the music, it was like they started playing it and then turned it off and then it started again. I did not get the feeling that it was planned and helped the dialouge. I think that maybe it was a director choice to put in the music to break up the monotony of the lengthy monolouges, but I didnt feel like it helped.

I thought the cast was surprising. Different from what I imagined, because as I mentioned before I have read this play before, so naturally I invisioned my own characters in my head. I thought that as far as choosing a hardworking cast, the director did a good job. The time spent on rehearsal and research was evident.

Im excited for the next play!!! :)

Alex Ashton

Anouilh....

Since I have studied Antigone is great depths in the past, I was expecting to be a bit bored. However, I am familiar with the Sophocles version. I was greatly impressed by the fact that Jean Anouilh's version was very true to the original but used slightly more modern references and things that an audience can relate to.  The discussions of money troubles and war crimes seem as relevant today as ever. I believe that this show is still a good choice and a good lesson to be shown after all these years of this classic dramatic piece being performed. The choice to have all important and dramatic elements of the story take place off stage is a critical decision. This all allows the audience member to create these scenes in their imagination. However, this is also a great risk because if the actors are not engaging enough, then the show will become uninteresting. I do think that our cast did a good job.

I thought that a great line that tied up a needed theme was Creon's monologue during his and Antigone's fight. He says "It is easy to say no, but to say yes, is to sweat".  This could refer to both Creon and Antigone's struggle. Creon accepted the crown and Antigone chose to fight for what she thought was right.  

While I am not usually a big fan of watching greek tragedies, overall I thought that our cast did a good job at keeping the audience engaged and portraying the overall theme.  I love the story of Antigone! I would just rather read the script and analyze it myself.

Knowing Your Space

Well, I was surprised again. I have to give the students in my class a thumbs up for the job they did in the play. I was sceptical of the play before it started, but I was soon shot down by how well of a job they did in remembering their scripts and presenting it to all of us sitting around the stage. The part I have to talk about this week is stage space. First of all when I got the entrance I was all lowed to enter alone. This gave me the sense of ownership of my part in the play of seeing it first hand. I walked in and noted that we were going to watch a play that was essentially an arena inside a black box. It had four sides, meaning that there were seats against to each other. Being that this was an arena stage, I found myself looking at the audience on the other side, which help with the emotions that I was getting with the play.
The second thing that I noticed with stage space is: there were not many props on stage. When I got there was two benches and four light post. The floor was made out to look like marble, which set the scene for royalty. I quickly learned that you don' t have a lot of props to get your point accross.
The third thing that I notece was blocking. I asked the question in class "what is blocking? I was told that blocking is where an actor turns in such a way that thier back is facing the audience. However, with areana stages, blocking is inevitable! At some point, someone is going to be forced to look at someones backside. I found it compelling though, that when block is used in a way to get the pint across, It does wonders for the corilation in the bond between actor and audience.
Again, congrates with the acting jobs on Anigone, and I wish you all well with your endevors in the acting areana

Elements of success

Critiquing a show is a difficult art form. It has recently been discovered just how much feeling is involved and how many elements come into play when reviewing a show. Often it seems your entire opinion is either rejected completely or agreed with wholeheartedly. What really makes this an awkward task is being involved in the show in question. I firmly believe that Mt. Hood Community College's production of the classic Greek Tragedy of Antigone was a stunning piece that has much to be proud of!
It is common knowledge in the theatre realm that shows of this capacity were traditionally preformed in the round, as this specific show was chosen to be. While many people have issues with this because it "breaks the first rule of stage- never turn your back to the audience!" I believe many are not realizing that a show in the round is not typical theatre anymore. It is meant to look real. Often times shows on common stages come across as clearly blocked, there are so many rules to follow. This show went back to the roots of theatre. It is a very challenging way to act and I applaud all the actors in this show for their patience, perseverance and willingness to break the mold of what is accepted and be torn apart for it later. This was truly an exceptional cast.
The stage was beautiful. It was painted with a marble look to it and was cracked and bleeding, a very symbolic choice! The stage was bathed in intricate lighting to portray moods, whether secretive and stealthy, passionate or in despair, so many emotions came through from the lighting. The set was simple, which was perfect for the round. 4 posts stood on each each corner and benches on the "twelve o clock and six o clock" sides. Anything else would have been crowded and awkward.
The music in this show, all originally composed specifically for this cast, added immensely to the dynamics of Antigone! Peter Armetta is an exceptionally talented man and did the cast all a huge service with his gift of music, giving so much to play off of and build with.
Overall, I believe this was an amazing work of art. It was not easy, in any form of the word! It was a challenging stretch for the cast but they rose above the difficulties and harsh reviews of peers, long hours and seemingly no recognition of their work. I count it as a huge honor to have been chosen to work alongside the incredibly talented artists Patrick Ford, Heather Harlan and Rick Zimmer.

Voice of Reason

When I first read Antigone, I was pleasantly surprised that the text had been modernized, which for me is always easier to understand than Shakespearean language. Not only was the text modernized, but also the script was interpreted by Lewis Galantiere, who added his own touch to some ideas in the story. I was a little confused on his choices, but still loved the play. He talked about Polynices smoking cigarettes and he even mentioned cars, but even with those modern items thrown in, the audience was still able to understand and enjoy his interpretation of "Antigone."
The script of "Antigone" really makes you think hard. You really start to wonder who was right, Antigone or Creon? There is a lot of text for Creon and Antigone, and most of Creon's lines are in large monologues that you really have to pay attention to in order to understand the whole story. He talkes about the story of Polynices and Eteocles and it really makes the audience wonder why Antigone is wanting so badly to die. Creon also has a big speech about a ship. Hopefully the audience caught on that the ship was the city of Thebes, and he was the one who was chosen to captian the ship.
The story of Antigone is very intense and dark. It is also very sad. But it is very intriguing to watch because the story really pulls the audience in and makes them think. Did Antigone become too stubborn and need to prove a point? Or in her heart, was she just strongly loyal to her own blood? Was Creon really a brute? Or was he the voice of resason? I guess it's up to your own interpretation.

The actors of Antigone

My job is to speak on the acting of "Antigone". I was in the play, I played king Creon, it was first play as a lead and my second play overall. It was difficult to keep my momentum when I had to be so emotional throughout the play. it was damn near impossible to get use to seeing the audience as I was trying to stay in character, but all-n-all I felt I kept my mistakes minimal. My job as an actor is to follow the script and the director. I became king when Antigones' brothers (the kings) killed each other in battle, so imagine being a regular Joe and the king dies and you inherit the throne overnight. I challenge any one of yall to get those lines and the blocking down in a month, along with your outside duties (school and being a father of a new born). When you do that, come talk to me.
Antigone was concemmit professional, she worked just as hard as anyone else to give the audience the best show possible with what we had to work with. Her lines were always delivered with a passion and I never heard her complain about it.
The guards were great to me! They reminded me of a comedy relief team. Their characters don't have any stake in the play, so they don't have anything to worry about other than letting the body be burried. If that happens then they will be killed, but that was quickly resolved once they caught the culprate. They were able to relax and fantisize about the rewards they can recieve from the king once they knew that they had done their job. James has a great accent and his delivery was very believable.
Ismene was played by an excellent actress in Desiree. I have been a huge fan of hers sense we were in class together back in the fall. She was absolutely stunning in Guys and Dolls, so it wasn't a surprise that she would bring such great energy to the part of Ismene. He projection was off the charts, she has great stage presence along with being a very pretty young lady. I look forward to seeing her again.
Haemon was very dramatic in the play, In the scene with him and Creon he really delivered his lines with a passion. He made Creon have to think about his actions. His movement was fluent and his eye contact was sharp.
The "nurse" Emily did a great job! No joke, she had a lot of lines and on top of that she had to speak in a different dialect the whole time. She was so believable as an nurse, even though she's younger than Heather she gave the illusion that she was really her elder. A believable job Emily.
The messanger, well what can I say. I've had a lot of classes with Chris and he always comes with an energy that commands attention. I wish the messanger had more lines so that I could watch him work for a while longer, but I had to except what we got which was a wonderful job. He made few mistakes if any, and he engaged the audience well.
-Patrick Ford

Well... the stage looked nice...

Okay, let’s be brutally honest: the actors all could’ve been Broadway level professionals and this play still would’ve been diminished. The original idea for the show was to be transferable to the courtyard according to the director. There’s a flaw with that logic though, as the outside courtyard has three evenly sized, equally leveled and having an equal vantage point with a large set of stairs behind the stage which could be incorporated as a dressing room area or exit space. In the Black Box, however, there are four sets of audience seating, each only has the ability to see one side well, and occasionally over to the opposite side.

I guess that last point is where my train of thought starts careening towards a crashing point. I saw the play on two separate nights; one for watching my friends and seeing the show and it’s acting, the other for doing my critique and taking my notes. Seemed reasonable at the time, but as I sat in the theatre looking for things that might distract (a crucial part of stage design would be to center the attention of the audience) I got distracted. I was distracted while looking for things that distracted me. I didn’t know that was possible. I look for any issues with lighting and sound equipment and I find myself looking at a woman in the first row of the audience with what appeared to be pink hair. The stage itself leans towards serious blocking issues as is, I've only seen one show where the actors managed to overcome the four sided stage. I think it would've been a better choice to go with the less ambitious three sided stage.

For instance, if they had considered the three sided stage, it would've eliminated one issue I had almost entirely. On opposite sides of the stage, lets call them North and South, there are two benches (painted a metallic color for some reason, I can only guess to indicate a higher status) where the actors may sit. Many intimate conversations are held using these benches and that means that the actors are having an extremely personal conversation from across the room, something you'd never do in real life, or right next to each other with both backs to the audience, something you'd never do in theatre. Sadly, both rules are broken, making more problems than I think anyone was ready for. People went there looking for a sorrowful tale set in a grand palace in Thebes, instead they got lots and lots of backs.

I will say however that the stage area was beautifully painted and the light posts were interesting and new, though they were also a bit distracting (the one that Antigone is handcuffed to nearly toppled over during the Thursday performance, not to mention that they obstructed the view of the action at times) but proved to be a wise decision. I would’ve, however, changed the way the lights were presented in the Black Box area. Hanging paper lanterns or some form of suspended lights so that the issue of blocked areas of the audience isn’t as prevalent an issue. The scenery actually could’ve been complimented more with additional pieces of furniture or a backdrop piece. Something that said "this is a royal court," rather than, "we're doing a play. And I know the crew could create one Hell of a backdrop if they were asked.

I can only say that the production crew was a little over-ambitious with this show. With a show like Antigone it can be great or it can be sub-par. Unfortunately Antigone turned out to be the latter on quite a few levels. Working with the stage they had, it was almost unavoidable it seems. Thinking back, if I was told at the beginning of the production my first thought wouldn't have been "Oh cool," or "Good to see a classic," it could've been surmised in two word segments: "Uh-oh..." It would've been wiser to have started using the four sided black box stage for different shows and working forward to bigger ones like Antigone. Like many things it can't just be rushed into. As it was, the play should've been called Icarus rather than Antigone, because like Icarus they set their aspirations to high and unfortunately it all suffered because of it.

Classic . . . Or Is It?

The play Antigone has been around for centuries. It was originally written by Sophocles, in Ancient Greece. This means it will be hard to understand some references and wording, right? Well, no. The script used was the translation by Jean Anouilh, and adapted by Lewis Galantiere. It was written during the Nazi occupation in France, and so the language is in fact very modern, so there isn't a need to over think what they are saying.

Yes, I will admit that some of the phrases are outrageous. Amoungst the cast many jokes have been made over some of the pet names used in the show. "My sweet red apple" and "Morning, my grandmother!" Not exactly ones you hear everyday. And then there is the line "Oh, my darling." And that is the line. Not exactly something you hear these days, but that did make for an interesting day as everyone was trying to comfort Emily in an attempt to show Tim, our Haemon, how to do the line. So, yes, there are some things that aren't exactly natural to us, but for the most part it is very modern.

As many already know, the queen in this show has no lines at all, not even a wail of utter dispair, which greatly saddens me. The big issue with lines is mostly just Creon, Antigone, and the Chorus, because they have huge monologues, and quite a few of them. Because of the music score there isn't the freedom of being able to just pick up if you have a short memory lapse, because the timing has to be just so. Some of the monologues are extremely wordy and messing them up can destroy the flow of it.

All and all, it is a good script. Yes, there are some things that could be changed, and I certainly wouldn't be telling you to bring young kids to the show since it is so dark, but it is put together well, and you won't have to worry about trying to disect the meaning of the lines.

Ember

Acting Was Shocking

Surprisingly I was shocked, because it was nothing that I was expecting as a whole. The acting in this play should have been perceived in many other ways and this is why. As Antigone, I believe Heather did well, and was the only one who did her studying of the character she was portraying. Emily's character as the Nanny was good, but I thought she should have been ismene, and this is why. Ismene is supposed to be this serious and absolutely gorgeous woman who is confused about what is right for herself, and what is right for the power of the kingdom. Desiree who plays Ismene is average in looks, and is more of a comedic actress. Starting from the beginning I was waiting for a punch line but towards the end she dramatically changed to serious. Emily was consistent in her acting, and with her acting I was not waiting for a punch line every time something was said. so that leaves out the part of the Nanny. I would of put Desiree in her spot. Because it was one of the more comedic roles, and more suiting to what I would have seen her do in her monologues earlier on. Creon, now I love Patricks acting, and maybe it was an off night, but as a king you would act more proper and stand tall and Not put in the facial expressions nor repetitive hand movements that were throughout the entire production. So as Creon, I would not have casted any of the cast members to be him. Chorus. The Chorus was another character with an off night. Since she was breaking the fourth rule between the entire production, you could notice her self mistakes, and trust me it wasn't always pretty. I think with the time and the lines she had I would of had more than one actor portray the chorus. I also did not like the witchy feeling she was portraying through the entire production. Haemon. Tim is another actor I have worked with in the last year, and he has improved a bit, but as the romantic lead it was horrifying. The way he spoke blocked and interacted was not his type of acting. He is a much better dramatic figure, rather than the romantic lead. So as the romantic lead, I would of rather seen Chris McVey Play the straight lover, because he puts more emotion and love into something that would of been more familiar to him. Now the Messenger. I did not feel that it was fair putting the actor who performed the monologue in Acting Fundamentals 1 as the same role. think in a way it was cheating, but hey Chris pulled it off today and I enjoyed his acting. As a Messenger, I would of rather seen Tim portray it, because it was more dramatic rather than romantic and that would of been the smarter move from the directors point. The Guards. First Guard as James did not fit. He was to proper and Jerk - ish rather than the man who should of had a limp, because he had gone to war and was wounded three times. I think Ben should of been the first guard for acting purposes, and James move down to second. Paige. What a cute kid. What I don't like about the acting choices with him is that he was the only one with an accent. If they were all from the same place, they would of all had the same accent. Tiny things such as that, were easy to pick up on tonight. The Queen Eurydice. Why? what sense did it make to just introduce her. Personally as a friend connection Ember did the best she could do for the production and the decisions in acting they gave her, but really? I think it would of been for the best for the queen to have been cut. Now as a group I did not like it when the chorus was speaking to the family and they interacted with her. I think they should of had an inner reaction and not look at her. I also did not like the acting behind the curtains, because it was too muffled and aggravating. so as a whole the acting was a shock. Good job for trying to be the people you were, and maybe it was just an off night since it was preview night.~Nici Benois~

Antigone.

So for this play, I got to focus on the design elements. When walking into the room I saw the stage and thought “This is it? Okay… Not that much to work with. But I guess that doesn’t matter. Will the dialogue make up for that?” See, as a non-theatre major, I never think about that stuff. When I enter a movie theatre or when going to see a play like Frost/Nixon, what goes through my mind is “I hope this will be good.” or "Ugh the girl that just sat down with her friend better not be texting the whole time..." Now I’m starting to think like a theatre major? You guys are rubbing off on me…

I liked how modern the costumes were. I had forgotten for a second that this Greek play was edited to a modern time. It was modern but yet with a hint of something from the Greek era. Like Antigone’s gold seams/ thread (I’m not good with the wardrobe lingo), on her red shirt, to the gold band that Creon wore. Both also had some sort of symbol on the back of their clothing, possibly like family crest? Whatever it was, to me it was a symbol of their royal family which reminded me of the Greek era that royal families still wear today. The only thing I found somewhat confusing about the costumes were the costume worn by Haemon. He was dressed like a commoner, green flowy shirt with baige baggy pants and sandals? (If someone could clarify this for me, that'd be great). But maybe that was just his character dressed and that it had nothing to do with anything happening.


At first I didn’t have much to say about the stage but as the play progressed, I noticed how fitting it was to the mood; it had fit Antigone’s mood the most. The gold with a hint of red, which I’m guessing represents the un happinest situation about her brother, her trust with Haemon, and her fued with Creon, and other events that led to her death. The gold representing the happiest she could’ve had and how beautiful she is, she doesn’t see it, she sees herself as ugly and sad, also what the red could've represented.

I thought the technician who did light and music did a good job. I liked that the music progressed in the moods and dialouge of the performers. Like in the argument scene with Antigone and Creon, the music got suspenseful when one had a dramatic reaction to what the other was saying, which also changed the mood. As for lighting, the technician did a good job ofI noticed that the light had gotten brighter on a character when he or she was talking; although I had noticed a couple scenes where the light on Antigone kept changing. I don’t quite remember the scene, but the light on her kept dimming, and then bighting, and then dimming… Either it was suppose to be like that or the technician was fixing something??

Overall I think this play did a good job with the design elements. I must admit that there was quite a bit of monologue for me to follow, but I did enjoy it because it was fun to see my classmates perform in their element.

Sam

Transcending History and the World, a Tale of Honor and Beliefs, Eternally Retold from an Actor's Perspective

Being in Antigone was a bit of an experience as an actor and a critic, having to work up close and personal with a play I’ve been charged to analyze. Of course, interacting with the design elements personally is a far more different experience than observing them from an audience’s perspective, as being an actor in the play afforded me much more time to probe and dissect the ins and outs of the production. There were many aspects of design that really stood out in the play, made it unique, significant.

The costumes had a bit of a unique touch, as this adaptation of Antigone is a more modern retelling, the costumes also seemed to be a bit more contemporary as compared to its ancient Greek counterpart. Walking around in uniforms and pants is quite different than being dressed in togas and high laced sandals; it totally affected how one would carry themselves, as a change in period would also mean a change in posture. Though, the costumes that didn’t seem to fit were the costumes of the Chorus and the Messenger. The Chorus wore a beige trenchcoat with sewn blue adornments, while the Messenger wore a blue hoodie and jogging pants, both with sewn red adornments. The play was meant to be more modern, but these two character’s costumes really didn’t seem to fit the style of the others. Upon closer analysis, these two characters were meant to be out of place, as the two were actually implements of Creon’s rationale and emotions. Only Creon was able to speak with the two, and no one else, besides Creon and the Messenger, talked with the Chorus. The costumes were simple, yet unique, and if one were able to detect the subtext, a more powerful impact would be made.

The flooring and pillars added an interesting effect to the play, along with it being in-the-round. The marbled floor seemed to be cracked and bleeding, it seemed to depict the wear and tear on the minds of Antigone and Creon, putting a foreboding and disturbing vibe in the atmosphere. Even the echo of the footsteps made on the floor had their own effect; intensity was felt in silent moments, alone with the echoes. The pillars seemed to frame each of the four sides and corners of the stage, making a sort of “faux proscenium”. When an actor traveled to one side or corner of the stage, that portion seemed to be highlighted by the actor’s presence, letting the audience focus their attention on that emphasized section of the “round”.

This play really seemed to be all about striking moods in the audience though many of its design elements, a big element that was used was the theme music. Brilliantly, the music was originally scored to the specifics of the script. It took the actors a while to synch up their monologues with the flow of the music, but when they were able to match their emotions with the appropriate section of the song, feeding off of the synchronization, the mood was able to be magnified.

Although I didn’t get to play such a huge part in the play, I did enjoy my time offstage, being able to see, up close and personal, the reasons and effects behind each and every design element. It may be a bit difficult for some to see it because they haven’t spent so much time engrossed in this production, but all the audience has to do is keep their eyes and ears open to see beyond simple aspects and truly appreciate the elements that this piece of theatre provides.

~ Chris McVey

Antigone's Directing

Hm..... where do I begin. First of all, I got to see the Greek Tragedy twice. Which made it quite even more interesting. See, the first time I saw it, it seemed to be a depressing story. Which was what I had learned while studying the script a bit in fundamentals class with Rick Zimmer. So I already knew the back story, the beginning, the middle, and the end. So for me, nothing was a surprise. Also, because I saw it twice, I was able to see the changes, if any, had been made from preview night to performance night. As an actor for over 5 years, I have learned that while acting, ever practice is a time that you develop habits, which are sometimes unbreakable. One of the biggest rules to acting is to act as if you were in the audition of your life. Always act like that, always act, even if it is preview night, as if it is a real performance. Yes, sometimes we have off nights, but that should not always be used as an excuse.
I sat in two different places, one side the first time I saw it, and another side the second time. This way, I was able to access every single point that I had gathered the first time and see if it matched up or not. Eh.... it was mostly the same.
So after studying this script, wow.... I had a completely different image in my head, most definitely. But I tried to keep an open mind, which I did. But the script, really, is just weird and confusing sometimes. And those monologues are just crazy. Haha somebody across from where I was sitting fell asleep. It was kinda funny. The casting was interesting. The woman cast as the Chorus seemed so evil! It was kinda scary throughout the production. It was kinda like she was looking down on the world and watching everyone die and laughing throughout it. I was wondering a bit what it would have been like if the chorus parts had been broken up between two people. Maybe a little bit more interesting and more narrative-like? Possibly....
The guy cast as Haemon was quite good in the dramatic scenes. He seemed more as a dramatic actor. During the romantic scenes, there just seemed to be no chemistry at all. It was really awkward to watch. :[
Ismene was funny, as was the nurse. The people in front of me kept chuckling during her lines because they both were like comedic relief. However, I thought Ismene was supposed to be a dramatic part, so I felt really conflicted watching her on stage. I would have liked to see her be the comedic nurse instead. She would have been better cast as that role.
The king, Creon, was cast for his ability to get angry, most definitely. He seemed more like a protective dad than a king. He was definitely dramatic, so props on that. But he didn't really act as king until the very end, when talking to the guards. His talk with the Chorus was awkward, too because no one else looked at her, like he was having a halucination or something. It was as if she was his conscious, but a person only visible to him. So I'm not really sure why the director did that. It confused me. That happened when the Messenger came in, also. I'm not really sure why the director did that. I got confused and didn't understand the point he was trying to make there. It was awkward because the chorus was narrating throughout the whole play until the end and suddenly she just jumped into the story to become a character. It seemed as if the Messenger should have been somewhat of a narrator, too. As if they were Creon's conscious instead of narrating then suddenly jumped into the story and were people within the story. I had to catch up really fast so I lost what was happening.
As for the guards, there were more like extras you see in a movie. I wish the director would have worked with them more on how to really be guards. He defintely worked the scene with the three guards and Antigone in custody, but the rest of the scenes were a little weird. However, the scene with Antigone and the head guard was quite funny. Comic relief, definitely. Obviously had been worked through.
The girl cast as Antigone obviously did her homework. She was able to transition into levels, which is hard to do as an actor. I've been through that, and it definitely takes skill! The scene with her and Creon was obviously worked over and over. I would have liked to see more of her expressions though. Her blocking was bad, and somewhat pointless. She moved so much that when I looked down to write notes for just a couple seconds then looked back up, she would be on the other side of the stage. It was hard to follow her and understand her expressions and feelings since she was moving around so much.
Because the stage was an arena, all the actors had this problem, but mostly Antigone since she did most of the movement. I would have liked to see a thrust stage instead, that way the actors would have broken character as much, looking around at the audience. I really have no idea what the point of that was. Yes, it may have symbolized Antigone's situation, being trapped, but it really made the play bad. It made it confusing to watch and follow everything since the actors were moving so much and had their backs to the audience, at least one side at all times.
The thing that did catch my eye was the choices for costumes. They were modern yet fit the characters. It was a good choice! I liked how Antigone wore, like her character, a vibrant colored top. It fit her character quite well. Creon's costume was quite good too, but it was more like a suit, but I guess that's what kings wear now-a-days. The voices from off-stage were really strange. They were so muffled that sometimes I got confused at what was happening for a couple seconds until the characters came out on stage. The jokes were really awkward. Only a couple people would understand them, and then laugh awkwardly because no one else was laughing. Or something that was supposed to be dramatic turned out to be funny. It was conflicting. Possibly the director could have helped the actors convey which was funny and which was not through voice control, pauses, and body language.
I really never understood the point the director was trying to make with this play. It was confusing and hard to follow most times. Yes, the actors did do their best. But seeing it twice, it stayed quite static from one performance to the other. The blocking was just weird because of the arena stage. It just didn't fit the script. It made it hard for the audience to follow the emotions and actions of the actors. Well, whatever the point, it wasn't really made at all. In fact, I have absolutely no idea what the point was. Oh well, good effort! I went into the performances with an open mind, I took three and a half pages of notes, obviously :] and I tried to grade the performances and the director justly, which I believe I did do. No matter where you go, there will be problems with a play and also good things, sometimes great things. I just wish the director had had more time to work with the actors really forming their characters instead of memorizing all the monologues. Good job though.