Antigone: A Modern Retelling of Ancient Greek Tragedy

Rich hues of red and blue fill the stage as a haunting melody floods the auditorium, mourning the devastating deaths that have plagued the city of Thebes in the recent days. The audience is stunned into silence and a collective breath is held in anticipation of what other tragedies could possibly befall the great city.
Written by Sophocles in 441 BC, this ancient Greek tragedy follows the story of Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, as she desperately tries to bury the body of her deceased brother against the current King’s wishes. However, Seton Keough High School creatively adapted the classic play to be more modern, setting it in New York City in 1968. This adaptation took advantage of the all-female cast, as the Women’s Liberation Movement

was also emerging during this time, which allowed the cast to seamlessly weave feminist related issues into the story, adding a new dimension to the play yet still staying true to the original story.
A shining aspect of this production was the amount of artistic creativity shown by the cast. Hope Hanley, Rebekah Lopez, and Arianna Platania choreographed beautiful, passionate dances which were performed at integral progressions in the plot that helped to convey the characters’ emotions and add another level of depth to the scenes. In addition, Hannah Yost wrote and performed an original song “Does He Know”, for her character, Eurydice. Her fragile and brittle voice along with the acoustic guitar created an authentic air of grief, making the scene truly resonate with the audience.
Ryann Cooper and Grace LaCount led the show as Antigone and Kreon, respectively.

Cooper portrayed her character’s courage and obstinacy through her expressive physicality, often crossing her arms and holding a tall and assertive posture. She also exhibited an extensive emotional range, simultaneously conveying both her outrage and distress though her various tones. LaCount clearly depicted the powerful Kreon through her imposing stage presence and her demanding intonation. LaCount also demonstrated her character’s development though the idiosyncrasies in her facial expressions. In one scene in particular with Haimon, Kreon’s son, her face morphed seamlessly from cruel and merciless to sorrowful and regretful, showing her character’s camouflaged sensitivity.
Other standout actors were Pria Graham as Haimon and Jessica Harzer as Teiresias. In Haimon’s fervent argument with Kreon, the passion and vitality that Graham put into her character undoubtedly translated into Haimon’s fierce love for Antigone. On the other hand, Harzer added substantial comedic relief during the play through her perfectly timed quips and comical physicality.
Technically, an outstanding aspect of this production were the meticulously detailed masks used by the ensemble during various scenes throughout the show. These tropes of traditional Greek theatre payed homage to the play’s origin while still creating a visually appealing aspect to the contemporary scenes.
Seton Keough High School’s rendition of

“Antigone” was ultimately a success, proving that the themes of love, morality, and power truly stand the test of time.