As the stage manager for Antigone, I was fortunate enough to see what happens behind the scenes. From the whole process, I feel as if I’ve managed to collect enough opinion, fact, and speculation to put together my own conjecture of the play from a purely textual context, as well as one from the hour and fifteen minute production itself. Michael Tick, our most esteemed director, put together the concept of placing Antigone in a punk world based upon the notion that the punk mentality could easily translate to any era where there is dissention and secession from those in authority. I believe that Tick has a point to be made here. Throughout the world, even today, we can see evidence of unjust punishment of individuals who stand up for what they believe in, despite laws set forth by the ruling party. It begs the question: what, then, is “just”? How do we define justice as it applies to an entire population, and how is it to be enforced?
In the case of Antigone, Creon punishes his own niece for burying her brother whom Creon said should be left unburied due to his traitorous acts. If we are to conjecture an answer to the question of what is just based on a punk mentality, the answer is that Antigone did exactly what a punk would do, which is, to defy authority, consequences be damned. Now the case of Creon as a punk creeps upon us. Tick felt, and justified, that in any society, specifically punk, there is a group of anti-establishment individuals. Within that group, however, is always a hierarchy and Creon represents that social standing within the stratification in our punk world. In my opinion, the choice to make Creon a punk is validated by the history within the play. Those familiar with Oedipus Rex know that Creon helped to save the city from destruction by discovering that Oedipus was the cause of the sweeping ailment. If we are to suppose that Thebes has always been punk, then it only makes sense that Creon would maintain his punk sense of style, in the very least, in his ascension to the throne as ruler. It is logical that his newly acquired status would have him change his mind about anarchy and dissention from the law. He understands that if he allows such behavior from his people, then his throne could be taken away the same way that Creon usurped Oedipus. From this knowledge, he then strives to ensure that his kingdom is under his thumb.
To what limits, then are we subjected when our own family defies our wishes? In Creon’s case, he not only had Antigone, his niece, marching to a different drum, but his own son, Haemon, was siding with Antigone. There have been many discussions, at least in rehearsal, about how Creon is to treat Haemon’s disloyalty towards his father and loyalty towards his fiancée. A ruler’s own flesh and blood, traditionally sides with his own, but for Creon to have to deal with his son, who isn’t as defiant at first, then becomes more outspoken and threatening, was a huge hurdle to jump. I believe that our production was successful in showing Haemon’s attempts at undermining Creon’s decree by siding with him at first, then switching sides. I think that it shows an interesting dynamic that parlays easily into the punk mentality. The audience sees an enraged son trying to maintain calm in the face of authority (especially since it’s his father), yet is waiting for the moment onstage where Haemon would reach his breaking point and we would finally see the inner anarchist emerge.
With the chorus’ help, I believe that Antigone in the punk world works and translates well. A disclaimer, however- for those who haven’t seen the production yet- is that it’s not punk rock, it’s just punk. There is a difference, in that the production isn’t about the music, which will become quite evident. Rather, it’s about the mentality of the punks itself, and the mentality is the masks that they wear to portray what’s happening. Audiences shouldn’t go into the show expecting it to be filled with 70’s/80’s punk music. Instead, they should go in armed with the mentality that this is a Greek tragedy, and sometimes it’s all about the masks.
Cheers,
Patsy
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