Review: Antigone (Fringe)

by Jason Booker

Bringing relevance to an old Greek story can be challenging – but is possible. This Antigone, presented by Soup Can Theatre from a forty-year-old translation by David Grene (which hardly makes it current), attempts that updating by overlaying references to the Occupy movement of last Fall and the G20 protests and response into the production. However, instead of incorporating those themes into the piece, the allusions often feel too brief and anachronistic, only truly manifesting in the chicken-wire fence dragged about the stage and some beautiful choreography involving police barricades and detaining procedures.  Antigone – for those not in the know – is a play by Sophocles about the titular young woman whose two brothers have both been killed during a recent war, although due to the fact one fought against the local authority, they will not allow him to be buried in sacred grounds. In this sizeable cast of twelve, the actors are wildly uneven.  Some appear to be lost in the archaic rhythms of the text, unclear as to what the lines mean, while others needed sharper direction on how to project and emphasize the key points.  Meanwhile, there are a few like the majestic Thomas Gough as Creon, who nicely acquit themselves from the confusion onstage.  Odd choices regarding the characters also prevail, like transforming Teiresias into a hippy prophet with a harmonica.  The production appears confused and overwhelmed by what they tried to present, putting on a lovely physical production (though elements like the sloganeering banners at the end are barely seen and poorly displayed) with strong movement elements.  In place of more work on the script and its inner depth to make the play accessible to as many members of the audience as possible, it feels as though the company may have chosen to focus their energies in the wrong places, sacrificing substance for style.

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