Antigone

TheatreUSF presents Antigone, the 2017 British International Theatre production.

TheatreUSF British International Theatre Production
by Sophocles, retold by Pamela Carter
Directed by Eduard Lewis
Theatre 2
Thurs, Feb. 23 – Sat, Feb. 25 | Thurs, March 2 – Sat, March 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Sun, Feb. 26 and Sun, March 5 at 3 p.m.

A modern retelling of Sophocles’ classic Greek tragedy. This production will be the U.S. premiere of a new adaptation by USF British International Theatre Guest Artist-In-Residence Pamela Carter; directed by BRIT Guest Artist-In-Residence Eduard Lewis with movement direction by BRIT Guest Artist-In-Residence Kane Husbands.

Director: Eduard Lewis
Playwright: Pamela Carter
Movement Director: Kane Husbands
Composer: Anthony Santaniello
Light Design: Beau Edwardson
Set Design: Lea Umberger
Costume Design: Yao Chen

A woman stands in the foreground, a nervous expression on her face. Behind her, a man gives a speech at a lectern, one hand raised. Another three men stand behind the man giving a speech, looking as if they are security. Orange pieces of paper cover the ground.

A man wearing a red tie and a yellow-gold sash with blue trim stands facing another man, whose back is facing us. The man in the rd tie has a quizzical eyebrow raised. Three women wearing suits and ties stand behind them, watching.

Six people stand in a straight line, each touching the one behind them on the shoulder with their arm stretched straight to the side. They are all in camo wear.

Two women in suits and ties confer together, one of them writing notes in a book.

A group of people stand with their arms and hands raised to the ceiling, as if speaking to someone or something above them.

After the bloody siege of Thebes by Polynices and his allies, the city stands unconquered. Polynices and his brother Eteocles are both dead, killed by each other, according to the curse of Oedipus, their father.

Upon her arrival in Thebes, Antigone learns that both of her brothers are dead. Creon, her uncle who now rules the city, ordered that Eteocles, who died defending the city, be given a proper burial, and issued a royal edict banning the burial of Polynices the invader. Furthermore, Creon has declared that anyone attempting to bury Polynices shall be put to death. Outraged, Antigone reveals to Ismene, her sister, a plan to bury Polynices in secret despite Creon's order.

Creon discovers that someone has attempted to offer a ritual burial to Polynices and demands that the guilty one be found and brought before him. When he discovers that Antigone, his niece, is the culprit, Creon is furious. Enraged by Antigone's refusal to submit to his authority, Creon declares that she and her sister will be put to death.

Haemon, Creon's son who was to marry Antigone, advises his father to reconsider his decision. The father and son argue, and Haemon leaves in anger, swearing never to return. The blind prophet Tiresias warns Creon that the gods disapprove of his leaving Polynices unburied and will punish him with the death of his own son. After rejecting Tiresias angrily, Creon reconsiders and decides to bury Polynices and free Antigone.

But Creon's change of heart comes too late. Antigone has hanged herself and Haemon, in desperate agony, had killed himself. On hearing the news of her son's death, Eurydice, the queen, also kills herself, cursing Creon.

Alone in despair, Creon accepts responsibility for all the tragedy. The play ends with a somber warning from the chorus that pride will be punished by the blows of fate.

Eduard Lewis, Director

Eduard Lewis trained on the MFA in Theatre Directing at Birkbeck University and Arts Educational and was a Resident Trainee Director at Royal Exchange Theatre 2012/2013.

As a director, he has worked on many shows including The Bruntwood Prize Ceremony, Crap Dad Island, Light & Shadow, Skylines (Royal Exchange Theatre), Consignment (Old Red Lion), Yuppies (Rosemary Branch Theatre), Neither Towards Nor Away (George Tavern), Internal Motion (Curious Directive), Daisy Cutter & Dealers Choice (Warwick Arts Centre Studio), and Mercy Seat (CAPITAL Centre). As an Assistant Director he has worked on Talk Show (Royal Court Downstairs), Orpheus Descending, Accrington Pals, To Kill a Mockingbird, Cannibals, Black Roses (Royal Exchange Theatre), Talk Show (Royal Exchange Theatre and Live Theatre).

Pamela Carter, Writer

Playwright Pamela Carter lives in London. Her plays produced in the United Kingdom include Skane (Hampstead Theatre Downstairs; winner of Berlin Theatertreffen Stuckemarkt 2012), What We Know (Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh) and Slope and An Argument About Sex (after Marivaux's La Dispute) for Stewart Laing's untitled projects. Since 2010, she has been writing for the Swedish conceptual art duo Goldin+Senneby on the Nordenskiold Model, their on-going investigation into algorithmic trading and financial reality. As a dramaturg, she has worked with companies including the National Theatre of Scotland, Malmo Opera House, and Vanishing Point (Interiors and Saturday Night). She has been the IASH/Traverse Theatre Creative Fellow at Edinburgh University, and was also under commission to Hampstead Theatre. Almost Here premiered at the Staatschausspiele in Dresden, Germany in 2013.

Kane Husbands, Movement Director

Kane Husbands is a theatre director specializing in movement, physical theatre and choreography. He has recently been working with National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and Saudi Aramco on a Middle Eastern performance of a modern retelling of the tales from 1001 Nights.

Over the past few years Kane has been privileged enough to choreograph dance theatre pieces that have toured around multiple cities in China and developed regional community theatre pieces delving into intergenerational theatre practice with both younger and older participants. As a freelance movement director, choreographer and facilitator in the U.K., Kane has worked for a variety of theatres and companies including: National Theatre, Old Vic Theatre, MAC Birmingham, Sheffield Crucible Theatre, SCOOP Outdoor Theatre, Arts Admin amongst others. He trained at Rose Bruford College on the BA (honors) European Theatre Arts course, graduating with a First class honors.

TheatreUSF British International Theatre Program

USF School of Theatre & Dance’s British International Theatre (BRIT) Program has been alive and well for more than 20 years, bringing a wide range of outstanding guest artists from the United Kingdom to work side by side with our TheatreUSF students. Professional directors and choreographers, leading actors in theatre, television and film, voice and speech experts and top rate designers have all been guest teachers and artists in residence. TheatreUSF will be forever thankful and grateful to the founders Hinks and Elaine Shimberg, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, John and Lisel Gale, and Dan Doyle for the vision and financial resources that make this program possible.

USF School of Theatre & Dance

The University of South Florida School of Theatre & Dance is committed to facilitating creative and academic artists and scholars though rigorous training in the studio, the classroom, and in performance. Throughout the curriculum students are encouraged to expand their view to include other cultures and ideas of performance. All classes in the School of Theatre & Dance are student-centered, with the faculty maintaining a close mentoring relationship.