Director
Yolanda Williams
Sophocles’ Antigone, written around 442 B.C. is one of the most famous Greek Tragedies. It has a lyrical poetic language that captures an audience attention and holds it tightly until the end. It keeps the audience in the story as the drama unfolds. It is a story of a young girl willing to do anything to honor her family even in death.
The play opens with Antigone, daughter of Jocasta and Oedipus, trying to honor both of her brothers with burial rights after their deaths. They have been killed while fighting on opposite sides of a war over kingship and territory. Kreon, Jocasta’s brother and Antigone’s uncle, is now king. He declares a decree that the brother who fought against the kingdom shall not be given any burial rights and anyone who defies him shall be put to death.
This play centers around Antigone’s defiance and her drive to give both her brothers proper burial rights while honoring them both in death. Some of the most fascinating themes in this play are gender roles in society, family values, justice, honor, political standpoints, and ethical values.
Antigone’s passion drives her to extremes. She makes choices that not only affect her but everyone in Thebes.
