Antigone is one of the most notable plays of Ancient Greece, which remains relevant to this day and is used by directors around the world. The play explores the topic of the oppressive patriarchal society, which makes it particularly topical during the current times. Antigone inspires me to develop a concept which involves setting the story of the play in the modern time and highlighting the theme of violence against women and LGBTQ people. Through directing, I will create characters who reflect their Ancient Greek prototypes, while actors will perform the play in a new setting. The design of the play will also be important, and it will imply making the stage look like a modern house, the main place of action.
Antigone is Sophocles’ play, written in the 400s BC, which tells the story of the daughter of Oedipus. Antigone violates the order of her uncle and king Creon and decides to bury her brother Polynices (Sophocles, 2021). Creon threatens to kill Antigone, yet, after hearing prophet Tiresias, Creon decides to bury Polynices. Nevertheless, Creon soon discovers that Antigone committed suicide by hanging herself together with Creon’s son. Eurydice, the queen, kills herself after hearing the news, while Creon recognizes his mistake and wishes to die fast. The fact that the play was written in Ancient Greece affects the storyline, yet it is still versatile and can be adjusted for the modern age.
In my concept, Antigone will be used as a foundation of a play about the brother, James, and sister, Helen, who, after the death of their parents, become adopted by their extremely religious uncle, Justin. James admits to Helen about his homosexuality, and the two try to keep it a secret, yet the uncle discovers it and puts James in the basement as a punishment. Helen attempts to save James, but her efforts get stopped by the uncle who violently beats her and kills James. Helen, unable to bear the grief, decides to flee the house. Simultaneously, the uncle confesses to the priest about the murder and asks if he made the right decision. The priest condemns Justin and says that all of his actions were sinful, and refuses to absolve Justin. The uncle realizes his mistakes and, when arriving at the house, spots the body of Helen, who committed suicide. The play adaptation highlights the topic of violence against females and adds a contemporary issue of oppression of LGBTQ people in a patriarchal society with an intention to draw the audience’s attention to such problems.
Directing will be an important element of the new adaptation of Antigone, and the goal will be to create a play which reflects the original story. For instance, singing was one of the main features of Ancient Greek drama. Therefore, there will be a chorus who will sing certain phrases during the play. The key concept behind singing is to make the audience understand the link between Ancient Greece and modern times, thus highlighting the fact that common themes exist in both periods.
The next aspect of the play will be the set design, where people will also need to see the link between Ancient Greece and modern America. The play will be set in a large house, yet the interior will have certain elements referring to the original play. For example, the uncle will have his favorite chair, which will be reminiscent of Creon’s throne, to help the audience to recognize him as a powerful patriarch.
The new adaptation of Antigone will enable the audience to see the play from a new perspective. My initial concept about the new version of Antigone has not evolved, yet there is a possibility that certain aspects of the story will be changed. I will present the concept by creating a modern set with contemporary characters who will face the same issue of violence against minorities explored in the original play. The main takeaway from the play will be that patriarchal society at all times causes violence.
Reference
Sophocles. (2021). The plays of Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus the King, Antigone, Ajax, Trachiniae, Electra, Philoctetes. Eternal Chrysostom.