Download An original adaptation of Sophocles` tragedy

An original adaptation of Sophocles’ tragedy
HARROGATE THEATRE STUDIO
JULY 13TH – 16TH 2011
Creon and Chorus
Ismene, Creon and Antigone
Creon and Antigone
Creon
Antigone
Haemon
Messenger
Chorus
Creon and Sentry
Introduction from the director
After we had chosen “Antigone” as our next production, I began
mulling over the one of the major themes – a woman desperate to
mourn her brother, in a state which had forbidden it. This brought to
mind the song by Sting, “They Dance Alone”, which had been inspired
by the women in Chile who had no other form of protest in the 1980s,
but to dance silently in the streets for their lost families. This helped to
give a sense of location for our production.
In 2003 I saw a performance of Christopher Bruce’s “Ghost Dances”, a
wonderful ballet performed by the Rambert Dance Company, also
about the oppression of Pinochet’s regime in
Chile. It is a memorable, moving piece of dance
theatre and I have unashamedly used it as the
inspiration for this production. The music which
Mike Bindon has shaped for the play is the music
Bruce used in his ballet. It is filled with the
evocative and haunting sounds of the mountains
and the emotions of the people of the country.
When I visited Peru in 2004 I was
deeply moved by the history of
the Incas and the Nazcas and
have brought together these
ideas to create the drama you will
see unfold today. I think the
connection between the story of
Antigone and her struggle against
the state and the history of the South American people are well
matched. Notably there have been a number of South American
productions of “Antigone” in the past, including a ballet and an opera.
Perhaps I am not the only person to see the link.
Michael Garside 2011
(photograph of Ghost Dances from the BBC archive with
permission)
ANTIGONE
by Sophocles
CAST
ANTIGONE: daughter of Oedipus
JUDITH KENLEY
ISMENE: daughter of Oedipus, sister of Antigone
FRANCES SELLARS
CREON: King of Thebes, uncle of Antigone and Ismene
STUART NEWSOME
SENTRY
MICHAEL GARSIDE
HAEMON: son of Creon and Eurydice, engaged to Antigone
MICHAEL GARSIDE
TEIRESIAS: an old blind prophet
MICHAEL GARSIDE
MESSENGER
FRANCES SELLARS
EURYDICE: wife of Creon
JUDITH KENLEY
CHORUS
ALL
CREW
Director
MICHAEL GARSIDE
Technical stage manager
CHARLOTTE CLARKE
Assistant stage manager
KATE ANTRAM
Soundscape devised by MIKE BINDON,
based on original music by Incantation
When Oedipus, King of Thebes, discovered through his own
investigations that he had killed his father and married his
mother, Jocasta, he put out his own eyes, and Jocasta killed
herself. Once Oedipus ceased being king of Thebes, his two
sons, Polyneices and Eteocles, agreed to alternate as king.
When Eteocles refused to give up power to Polyneices, the latter
collected a foreign army of Argives and attacked the city. In the
ensuing battle, the Thebans triumphed over the invading forces,
and the two brothers killed each other.
The action of the play begins immediately after the battle.
Our thanks to
Harrogate Theatre Staff; Harrogate Conservative Club;
The Harrogate Dramatic Society; RHS Harlow Carr;
Sue Haithwaite, Chellow Heights Special School
The Royal House of Thebes
Cadmus = Harmonia
Polydorus
Autonoe
Labdacus
Semele = Zeus
Agave
Dionysus
Menoeceus
Creon= Eurydice
Laius = Jocasta
Oedipus = Jocasta
Polyneices
Ino
Megrareus
Eteocles
Menoeceus
Antigone
Names in blue are characters seen or mentioned in the play
Haemon
Ismene
Greek Theatre
Did you know:
The meaning of
the word
Orchestra is
dancing place,
referring to the
acting space
first used in
Greek theatres
where the
chorus would sing.
The Skene was the building at the back from which actors would
enter and which housed costumes, props and any scenery. The
front of this building was the Proskenion, from which we have
gained the Proscenium Arch at the front of stages like
Harrogate’s own.
Actors are known as Thespians, after Thespis was reputed to be
the first actor to step out of the chorus and assume a separate
role.
The masks worn by Greek tragic actors were often made of
wood as they resonated more to help project their voices.
The shoes worn by tragic actors were called Cothurni and were
like platform shoes of the 1970s to allow the actors more
presence and seem larger than life. Comic actors however used
slipper–like shoes called Socci – where we get the word socks
from!
Next year 6:12 will present
Samuel Beckett’s
Endgame
July 18 – 21 2012
th
st
Check the website for further details
www.6-12.co.uk