Theatre Department to Perform Sophocles’ Towering Tragedy 'Antigone'

The department of theatre at the College of the Holy Cross will present the classic Greek tragedy “Antigone,” written by Sophocles and directed by Shana Gonzansky, visiting lecturer of theatre.  The performances will be held in Fenwick Theatre, located on the second floor of O’Kane Hall, on April 3-5 and 10-12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7 for members of the Holy Cross community and $10 for the general public and can be reserved by calling the box office at 508-793-2496.

Sophocles’ tragedy reveals Antigone’s effort to right a wrong and bury the body of her fallen warrior brother, challenging the authority of her uncle and ruler of Thebes, Creon. The play digs deeply into the conflict between tyranny and justice, and the consequences of sacrificing humanity, pride, and the lust for power. These themes highly connect to our own modern world, an interpretation that Gonzansky projects to the performance.

“We have had an incredible time working on this play in part because there is so much to dig into,” says Gonzansky. “But perhaps our greatest work has been on making the world of the ancient Thebes reflect our modern times. We have approached this play with a hunger for making it feel relevant, timely, and contemporary. These plays exist not as historical documents but as reminders that the human experience is complex, profound, and universal.”

The play’s main cast features Nicholas Jorgensen ‘16, Shannon LoCascio ‘14, Julia McCarthy ‘15, Megan McDermott ‘16, Brian Ott ‘16, Danielle Santos ‘14, Patrick Simas ‘14, and Alexandra Skamangas ’14.The tragedy also includes a Greek chorus, which chorus member Brandon Gomez ’14 explains as integral to conveying the play’s modern understanding.

“The Greek chorus has been modernized,” says Gomez. “We are all wearing full three-piece suits. Greek drama is still relevant today and there are many parallels between our world and these texts. That being said, I hope our audience will be inclined to pick up a newspaper. There is so much going on in the world that people are unaware of and by simply reading, or watching the news we can all become informed citizens.”