Antigone in Ferguson
About the show
This new project fuses a dramatic reading of excerpts from Sophocles’ tragedy with live choral music performed by a choir of activists, police officers, youth, and concerned citizens from Ferguson and NYC. More…
Opening on September 13 and kicking off Harlem Stage’s 2018/2019 programming season, "Antigone in Ferguson" was conceived in the wake of Michael Brown’s death in 2014, through a collaboration between Theater of War Productions and community members from Ferguson, MO. The performance is the catalyst for panel and audience-driven discussions on race and social justice, the core component of the event. This multifaceted production will offer a glimpse not only into the effects of the tragedy in Brown’s local community, but also the trauma of police violence and racial injustice in communities of color in New York and across the nation.
"The piece becomes a direct reaction to Michael Brown’s murder in 2014, a tragedy that feels inappropriately distant today...From the get go, the production makes it clear that it’s not entertainment, but a lens through which to examine how our reality is oversaturated with violence...If you are looking solely for entertainment (which is not to say this production lacks humor), 'Antigone In Ferguson' is not for you. But if you're open to it, you may well walk away a little more open." Full Review
"In this production, every member of the audience is also a member of a chorus...'Antigone in Ferguson,' specifically, is meant to open the door on the thoughts and feelings aroused by the shooting of the 18-year-old Mr. Brown...With force and focus, they unspooled the events that lead to Antigone’s being sentenced to death...It is the gospel chorus, though, reacting to confrontations among these characters, that viscerally lifts the play into timelessness." Full Review
“The 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown inspired this exuberant concert-style presentation...Doerries’ proficient staging transforms it all into a novel, entertaining and emotionally charged experience...The cast changes weekly...The format is of the cast at music stands with scripts expressively reading...A structured discussion sequence which follows each show...This town hall section revealed some poignant and eloquent insights into topical issues.” Full Review
See it if ...you enjoy social commentary on relevent events through theatre and music. Beautiful piece. Great acting. Amazing choral pieces.
Don't see it if ...you don't like theatre or current events. Hey, the tickets are FREE and the show is great. How often does that happen? See it.
See it if you can see the correlation between a 2500 year old play & the history we are living through at this very moment in time;
Don't see it if you don't believe that those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it; don't want to think, period.
Also This is more of a reading than a play- an abbreviated version of Antig... Read more Read less
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