Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Greek touch
Antigone: one of the most famous Greek classics of all time. There’s death, rebellion, revenge and a clash of wills. Smriti Daniel talks to the cast, while our photographer Mettasena captured a few dramatic moments

The poster leans against the wall. You stop to take a quick look: Antigone performed by the Drama Society of S. Thomas’ College, from July 15 – 18, 2005, at the College Chapel steps, commencing at 8 p.m.

You read the details and wonder “Antigone, isn’t that the A/level text? That utterly depressing Greek tragedy? And I would want to go for it because…?”
Let’s get straight to the point, shall we? You’re going for this play, because you want to be entertained, and while the fact that it is suitably ‘high flown,’ ‘tragic’ and ‘literary,’ is a bonus, what you really want is simply to be entertained for the evening. Fortunately, you’re guaranteed that. Antigone will keep you glued to your seat and caught up in the plot, so much so that even if you don’t like tragedy (or the Greeks for that matter), you will still love this play.

Many people would assume that a play written around 442 B.C. could not by any stretch of the imagination have any relevance to the modern world we live in. Then lots of people would be wrong, because the characters and issues in Antigone couldn’t be more current. Brother battling brother in an attempt to monopolise their joint inheritance; pompous, tyrannical rulers who will simply not listen to common sense; ordinary, decent people finding themselves out-shouted and out-voted are issues we still struggle with, and with the possible exception of having protagonists who know their grandmother is also their mother, everything is just about as modern as you could get.

Antigone is at the centre of the play, and she belongs to a family that has the most depressing history (you may remember her father – Oedipus?) She has two brothers and a sister. Eteocles and Polynices – the brothers – must share the crown, and they reach an agreement wherein each will rule for a year and then hand it over to the other.

Unsurprisingly, when it comes to the crunch, Eteocles (who goes first) refuses to hand over the crown to his brother and the two go to war. They kill each other in battle and their uncle Creon becomes king. He declares that Eteocles will have a decent burial, while Polynices will be deprived of the same.

ntigone goes against the king’s edict and buries her brother Polyneices. Creon in his rage, condemns her to death, ignoring the wishes of all those who would advocate a wiser course. From that point on, the spring of the story is wound tight and events begin to uncoil in the most unstoppable manner.

Interestingly, while Antigone is filled with chauvinists, it is the women who have a healthy helping of cojones. Antigone is a woman who will stick by her principles, even if it means a slow and painful death. She is outspoken and will cower before no one – even her king. Even her sister Ismene, who initially refuses to help Antigone bury their brother, does not hesitate to share in the punishment meted out by the king.

This is a story that sees many sides squaring off against each other – the law of the gods vs. the laws of the state, family ties vs. civic duty, and man vs. woman. By any standards this is a difficult and demanding play. However the boys of the Drama Society of the S. Thomas’ College are more than up to it.
Nigel Walters, who plays Antigone, revels in playing this character with a “tempest in her heart”; he portrays her as a woman, who is both strong and tormented. Chaminda Samaraweera makes a good Creon – managing to communicate the entirety of Creon’s character with his acting. Arrogant and unrelenting, this is a man who is struggling to establish his rule – and going about it the wrong way. Biman Wimalaratne is Haemon, Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiancée, and despite the fact that he does not arrive till later in the play, succeeds in making his presence felt.

Dasith de Silva, the youngest member of the cast, appears young and innocent, carrying the humility and helpless anguish his character demands. Nadim Majeed plays both the sentry and Creon’s queen. Janeeth Rodrigo arrives at a crucial moment in the play, and as the messenger skilfully narrates the tragic events that have occurred. Shanil Wijesinghe is very effective as the blind prophet Teiresias, and is the speaker for the gods in the play.

The Chorus consisting of 12 Thebian elders is crucial to the play. The actors playing the parts are all first timers in a rather demanding role, for not only do they need to know all the usual stuff such as their lines and their stage positions, each one of them has to co-ordinate with 11 other actors.
For director Vinodh, the chance to stage Antigone is a dream that has been long delayed. He’s proud of the effort the boys have put in and the fact that his students have been solely responsible for the production of the play.

Antigone is set to be staged on the steps of the college’s majestic chapel steps. On the days of the performances the venue will be lit by Greek torches which are intended to contribute to the ancient, regal tone of the play.
Tickets are available at the Barefoot Gallery and College Office. The production is sponsored by Dwelco (pvt.) ltd., MTV, YES FM, Classic Radio, and The Sunday Times.

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