Antigone in Ferguson NYC Reviews and Tickets

81%

(18 Reviews)

Positive

94%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great singing, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Ambitious, Intense

About the Show

Theater of War presents a free, encore staging of their project, which fuses a dramatic reading from Sophocles’ tragedy with live choral music sung by a chorus of activists, police officers, and youth from Ferguson and NYC.

"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.

Tickets: Tickets are FREE but RSVP is encouraged. For inquiries, please contact (917) 426-3233 or AIFinfo@theaterofwar.com

Member Reviews (18)

Mixed acting, Strong singing, Relevant, Very loud, Ambitious

See it if you like social justice initiatives. Diverse cast/audience. Big-hearted, energetic. Universal questns of laws v. mortality. Vocal fireworks

Don't see it if you want polished script/songs/perfrmances. Storytelling's weak; lyrics are meh. But gr feeling in church; desire to heal, to connect.

Ambitious, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Resonant, Great singing

See it if Epic Greek tragedy stripped to its core dramatically, emotionally & vocally Use of Gospel singers as Chorus inspired & moving Actors excel

Don't see it if Dramatic evening is combined with community action/town hall discussion over #blacklivesmatter issues Potent but maybe not for all tastes

Critic Reviews (4)

September 14th, 2018

Ben Brantley

"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."
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September 30th, 2018

Helen Shaw

"Doerries has given the cast a trim hour-long version...Behind them a tip-top band and a choir full of gospel powerhouses sings Phil Woodmore’s wonderful settings of Sophocles’ famous choruses...All is revealed in the crucial second half of the show, a panel and guided discussion...What almost never happens in postshow discussions starts to happen: The conversation retroactively infuses the reading we’ve just seen with more meaning, import, and complexity."
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September 21st, 2018

Darryl Reilly

“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.”
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September 16th, 2018

Ran Xia

"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."
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