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The UNCG theatre department is starting this spring semester off with the classic Greek play, Antigone. This play is apart of the “War and Peace Imagined” theme that the College of Visual and Performing Arts has chosen for this year. Although it was written in ancient Grecian times this play is still very relatable to today. The play takes place in Thebes and starts off after a great battle has happened between the army of Thebes and the army of Argos in which two of the royal bloodline have killed each other. Being a particularly violent climate as we are now this play is relatable through how the characters react to war and how they react to the people who caused it.
This play is a sequel to the popular tale, Oedipus Rex. For those of you who may not know or do not remember, Oedipus was a Greek hero who came to Thebes, liberated the city and married the Queen. Later on in the play he finds out his wife his actually his mother and that he had killed his father long ago. At the time of the Oedipus Rex play, Oedipus and Jocasta, his mother-wife had children who at that time were very young. Antigone, who the play is named after, is a daughter of Oedipus, along with Ismene, her sister, who also appears in the play. The two royal bloodline that killed each other in battle were the sons of Oedipus, who rules the kingdom together until fighting broke out for the throne. After killing each other, the children’s uncle is then instated as King, and this event is where the play starts. The play reflects on the intense feelings and high stakes that are present during wartime and how a state must start to rebuild. This play is a good presentation of the repercussions of war and the dangers of a leader who uses his power for his own personal agenda. It is a tragedy of course so it is not the most happy of plays but it’s subject matter is deep and truthful to the political climate we are currently in.
The play opens at Taylor Theatre on February 16th and runs through February 26th. Tickets are $9 with a student ID. Be sure to check it out and support your fellow students!