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Redtwist Theatre Presents ANTIGONE Review — Classic, with A+ Acting

Amy Munice
Redtwist Theatre ANTIGONE

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Kreon (played by Brian Parry) quakes with barely contained rage. His orders were not only disregarded but done so by a lowly female. He stands on what seems to be a pedestal, which before the play’s opening, was scrubbed meticulously by various ensemble members in character and rotation—something you will likely remember all the more in the final bloodbath scene, as this writer did.

“I will not be bested by a woman!” he snarls, in such a way that fellow modern day audience members might also be poised to hear his follow up on how she is bleeding from her wherever.  Whether it was Sophocles’ pen, an added emphasis in the new translation by Anne Carson, put into focus by director Christine Freije, or just an injection of excellence that Redtwist regulars have come to expect from Parry, the misogynist lens on the classic is clear.

He speaks of Antigone (played by Isabel Alamin) who is hell-bent to bury her brother, according to the rules of the Gods, and King Kreon be damned.  She is on fire with passion—and could be Joan of Arc, Emma Goldman or Greta Thunberg—with a bravery born in that place where nothing to lose and everything to lose are the same.  You too might find yourself scrambling to your program to read up on Alamin, whose magnetism is apparent, albeit in a one-dimensional character.  She is any ideologue who brooks no gray in a world of black and white right and wrong—from antiquity to NOW.

In another time we know a judge could likely get Antigone’s death sentence lessoned given the family of hard rocks she and her siblings came from, viz. when your mother and grandmother are same-same, and your father is Oedipus who blinded himself rather than lookat you. No wonder she has a complex, if not her father’s most famed one!

Redtwist Theatre Showcases A+ Acting

Parry and Alamin are accompanied by a fine ensemble, in this writer’s view.  There is not a line delivered that doesn’t seem to be carefully considered by this most able cast. If you, like this writer, are interested in the classics in general or this Sophocles cultural pillar in specific, this production re-enacts the story with ample acting prowess. That said, this is a production that doesn’t seem to take on the challenge of bringing in a wider audience. If you love to see classic plays on stage this should be your top pick.  Pampered audience members who rely on gestural and physical theater injections to bring such stories alive on stage should likely take a pass.

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CAST:

Isabel Alamin (Antigone)
Natalie Welber (Ismene)
Brian Parry (Kreon)
Nick Shank (Haimon)
Joan Nahid (Eurydike/Chorus)
Javier Carmona (Teiresias/Chorus)
Peter Ferneding (Guard/Boy/Chorus)
Sarah Sapperstein (Messenger/Chorus)
Andrew Bosworth (Chorus Leader)

CREATIVE TEAM:

Christine Freije (Director)
Dusty Brown (Production Manager)
Eric Luchen (Scenic Designer)
Solomon Weisbard (Lighting + Sound Designer)
Anna Bodell (Costume Designer)
Jeff Brain (Props Designer)
Mike McShane (Assistant Lighting + Sound Designer)
Moises Diaz (Assistant Props Designer)
Alanna Young (Stage Manager)
Chas Mathieu (Technical Director)
Anna Petersen (Scenic Charge)
Hannah Blau (Assistant Director)
Lauren Grace Thompson (Resident Production Manager)
Shariba Rivers (Casting Director)
Jose Jimenez (Graphic Designer)

WHEN:

Thru July 31, 2022

Sundays - 3pm
Thursdays - 7:30pm
Fridays - 7:30pm
Saturdays - 7:30pm

WHERE:

Redtwist Theatre
1044 W Bryn Mawr
Chicago IL, 60660

TICKETS:

$15+

For more information and tickets visit the Redtwist Theatre website.

Photos by Willow James

Note: Picture This Post reviews are excerpted by Theatre in Chicago.

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Amy Munice

About the Author: Amy Munice

Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.

Amy hopes the magazine’s click-a-picture-to-read-a-vivid-account format will nourish those ever hunting for under-discovered cultural treasures. She especially loves writing articles about travel finds, showcasing works by cultural warriors of a progressive bent, and shining a light on bold, creative strokes by fledgling artists in all genres.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY AMY MUNICE.

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