[NEohioPAL] Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’ Becomes a Rock Musical at Wooster

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Sophocles=E2=80=99 =E2=80=98ANTIGONE=E2=80=99 Becomes a Rock Musical at Woos=
ter=20

Written by <A HREF=3D"mailto:jfinn at wooster.edu">John Finn</A>
330-263-2145

WOOSTER, Ohio =E2=80=94 Ansley Valentine, assistant professor of theatre at=20=
The=20
College of Wooster, will put a unique spin on an ancient script when he dire=
cts =E2=80=9C
Antigone: The Rock Musical=E2=80=9D Oct. 30-31 (8:15 p.m.) and Nov. 1 (5 p.m=
. and 9=20
p.m.) at Freedlander Theatre (303 E. University St.). Valentine, who delight=
s in=20
making productions more contemporary and providing greater accessibility to=20
college audiences, has taken Sophocles=E2=80=99 classic play and translated=20=
it into a=20
modern context.=20

=E2=80=9CWhat we=E2=80=99ve done is take this timeless story and retell it t=
o emphasize the=20
similarities between ancient Greece and issues being debated today,=E2=80=
=9D says=20
Valentine. =E2=80=9CThrough rock music, pop ballads, and even some martial a=
rts, we hope=20
to give audiences a great musical theatre experience.=E2=80=9D=20

One thing that won=E2=80=99t change is the original storyline. Despite being=
 written=20
in 442 B.C., some of the play=E2=80=99s events are eerily similar to those i=
n America=20
since September 11, 2001, complete with terrorist attacks, a city under sieg=
e,=20
and concerns about homeland security.=20

=E2=80=9CMuch of what Sophocles wrote mirrors what is happening in the world=
 today,=E2=80=9D=20
says Valentine. =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s about whether personal responsibility=20=
outweighs=20
responsibility to the state, and how we choose what is the right or ethical=20=
thing to=20
do.=E2=80=9D=20

Originally produced in 1997 by Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, Valentine ha=
s=20
always wanted to revisit the show and readdress its structure. =E2=80=9CI ha=
d some=20
concerns about the script I wrote in 1997, so we have done a lot of rewritin=
g,=E2=80=9D=20
he said, =E2=80=9CWe have also added new vocal arrangements and some new mus=
ic.=E2=80=9D=20

Daniel S. Acquisto, who wrote the majority of the lyrics and music for the=20
original production, will be present for the Wooster performances. The lead=20=
role=20
of Antigone will be shared by Sarah Edwards and Kieran Welsh-Phillips. Ismen=
e=20
will be played by Whitney Huss and Denise Mosley, and Haemon will be split=20
between Joe Pickard and Colin Fink.=20

Creon will be portrayed by Lee Matsos, while the Reporter will be played by=20
Holly Payne, and Didaskalos will be played by Patrick Midgley. Other perform=
ers=20
include Daniel Kavka as Teiresias, Tom Hull as Hoplomachos, and Doug Buchana=
n=20
as Phylax.=20

Rounding out the cast are soldiers Emily Patterson and Daniel Lentz; ensembl=
e=20
members Kelly Gesch, Merritt Smith, and Leah Suter; and the six Citizens of=20
Thebes: Kim Moyer, Katie Nelson-Croner, Steve Schuerger, Mike Stratton, Heat=
her=20
Summers, and Lara Tellis.=20

In order to set the tone and give an audience a feel for the context of the=20
play, Valentine says that metal detectors will be placed at the entrance to=20=
the=20
theatre and patrons will be given I.D. cards along with their tickets to gai=
n=20
admission. There will also be television monitors broadcasting news reports=20
during the play.=20

=E2=80=9CThe greatest challenge will be to take the story, flip it around, a=
nd make=20
it work in the context of modern musical theatre,=E2=80=9D says Valentine.=20=
=E2=80=9CIt will be=20
a lot like =E2=80=98West Side Story=E2=80=99 or =E2=80=98Jesus Christ Supers=
tar.=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D=20

Tickets, which can be ordered by calling 330-263-2241, are $9 for general=20
admission and $6 for senior citizens, faculty, staff, and students. College=20=
of=20
Wooster students will be admitted free.=20

   =20
   =20


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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT  SIZE=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=
=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Sophocles=E2=80=99 =E2=80=98ANTIGONE=E2=80=99 Becomes=20=
a Rock Musical at Wooster <BR>
<BR>
<B>Written by </B><A HREF=3D"mailto:jfinn at wooster.edu">John Finn</A><BR>
330-263-2145<BR>
<BR>
WOOSTER, Ohio =E2=80=94 Ansley Valentine, assistant professor of theatre at=20=
The College of Wooster, will put a unique spin on an ancient script when he=20=
directs =E2=80=9CAntigone: The Rock Musical=E2=80=9D Oct. 30-31 (8:15 p.m.)=20=
and Nov. 1 (5 p.m. and 9 p.m.) at Freedlander Theatre (303 E. University St.=
). Valentine, who delights in making productions more contemporary and provi=
ding greater accessibility to college audiences, has taken Sophocles=E2=80=
=99 classic play and translated it into a modern context. <BR>
<BR>
=E2=80=9CWhat we=E2=80=99ve done is take this timeless story and retell it t=
o emphasize the similarities between ancient Greece and issues being debated=
 today,=E2=80=9D says Valentine. =E2=80=9CThrough rock music, pop ballads, a=
nd even some martial arts, we hope to give audiences a great musical theatre=
 experience.=E2=80=9D <BR>
<BR>
One thing that won=E2=80=99t change is the original storyline. Despite being=
 written in 442 B.C., some of the play=E2=80=99s events are eerily similar t=
o those in America since September 11, 2001, complete with terrorist attacks=
, a city under siege, and concerns about homeland security. <BR>
<BR>
=E2=80=9CMuch of what Sophocles wrote mirrors what is happening in the world=
 today,=E2=80=9D says Valentine. =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s about whether persona=
l responsibility outweighs responsibility to the state, and how we choose wh=
at is the right or ethical thing to do.=E2=80=9D <BR>
<BR>
Originally produced in 1997 by Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, Valentine ha=
s always wanted to revisit the show and readdress its structure. =E2=80=9CI=20=
had some concerns about the script I wrote in 1997, so we have done a lot of=
 rewriting,=E2=80=9D he said, =E2=80=9CWe have also added new vocal arrangem=
ents and some new music.=E2=80=9D <BR>
<BR>
Daniel S. Acquisto, who wrote the majority of the lyrics and music for the o=
riginal production, will be present for the Wooster performances. The lead r=
ole of Antigone will be shared by Sarah Edwards and Kieran Welsh-Phillips. I=
smene will be played by Whitney Huss and Denise Mosley, and Haemon will be s=
plit between Joe Pickard and Colin Fink. <BR>
<BR>
Creon will be portrayed by Lee Matsos, while the Reporter will be played by=20=
Holly Payne, and Didaskalos will be played by Patrick Midgley. Other perform=
ers include Daniel Kavka as Teiresias, Tom Hull as Hoplomachos, and Doug Buc=
hanan as Phylax. <BR>
<BR>
Rounding out the cast are soldiers Emily Patterson and Daniel Lentz; ensembl=
e members Kelly Gesch, Merritt Smith, and Leah Suter; and the six Citizens o=
f Thebes: Kim Moyer, Katie Nelson-Croner, Steve Schuerger, Mike Stratton, He=
ather Summers, and Lara Tellis. <BR>
<BR>
In order to set the tone and give an audience a feel for the context of the=20=
play, Valentine says that metal detectors will be placed at the entrance to=20=
the theatre and patrons will be given I.D. cards along with their tickets to=
 gain admission. There will also be television monitors broadcasting news re=
ports during the play. <BR>
<BR>
=E2=80=9CThe greatest challenge will be to take the story, flip it around, a=
nd make it work in the context of modern musical theatre,=E2=80=9D says Vale=
ntine. =E2=80=9CIt will be a lot like =E2=80=98West Side Story=E2=80=99 or=20=
=E2=80=98Jesus Christ Superstar.=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D <BR>
<BR>
Tickets, which can be ordered by calling 330-263-2241, are $9 for general ad=
mission and $6 for senior citizens, faculty, staff, and students. College of=
 Wooster students will be admitted free. <BR>
<BR>
    <BR>
    <BR>
<BR>
</FONT></HTML>
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