Poet adapts original Greek tragedy in 'Burial'By Priya Bali
Priya Bali and Shiori Ito March 31st, 2006
Beginning this weekend, Antigone, Sophocles's timeless tragic heroine, will walk the stage of the Trueblood Theater in Seamus Heaney's "The Burial at Thebes," a University Productions performance.
Located in the historic Frieze Building, the Trueblood is slated for demolition when the Frieze is torn down to make room for a new dormitory building. The Arthur Miller Theater, scheduled to open in spring 2007 on North Campus, will replace the Trueblood as the site for many of the on-campus theater performances by University groups.
"Burial at Thebes," a modern-day adaptation of the classical Greek play "Antigone" written by famed tragedian Sophocles, will be the last play peformed at the Trueblood and will run from tomorrow until April 9.
"This play, full of passion, conflict, retribution and dignity, seemed a fitting goodbye to the Trueblood Theater," said Theater Prof. Malcolm Tulip, who will direct the performance.
Tulip is no stranger to the stage, having worked both on the creative process behind the scenes and as a stage actor. His many theatrical accomplishments include the play "Down the Plughole," which he wrote, directed and starred in, and which earned him distinction as best director of a drama and best actor in a drama from the Ann Arbor News in 1997.
In the original Greek tragedy, Antigone is forced to choose between life and death, hypocrisy and honor as she faces a moral dilemma. In her quest to bury her brother, who died in disgrace, she faces opposition from her uncle, King Creon, and her sister Ismene.
Through the compelling quandary of morality versus legality, the play forces the viewer to question duty, reexamine the essence of honor and meditate on the wisdom of obeying "unwritten, original, God-given laws."
The importance of acknowledging the rights of every human being, whether dead or alive, is communicated in the emotional power of Heaney's readapted script. "Heaney's version of Antigone uses poetry in an immediate and vibrant way without losing the classical form," Tulip explained.
The 17-member cast will portray these classic characters in a contemporary manner, giving them a unique voice, yet remaining true to the spirit of Sophocles's dynamic characters.
Feeding off of Heaney's modern vision, Tulip has changed the chorus of the play, which typically provides narration and background, from a group of Theban elders to a group of young blue- and white-collar workers.
"I believe in this day and age (that) often the old are not the only ones willing to speak truth to power," Tulip said.
Stephen Rush, a School of Music Prof., has also worked with Tulip to provide a contemporary score for the production. His compositions are original and modern while still keeping to traditional Irish musical elements found in Heaney's original script.
The themes present in the play are timeless; the portrayal of the vitality and weaknesses of a generation is always relevant - now, Tulip said, more than ever.
"Three years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, with the renewal of the Patriot Act and the continuation of the administrator's public relations campaign in support of its actions, this is a ripe time to consider the questions posed by 'Antigone,' " he said.
By using the universality of Sophocles's messages, Tulip said Heaney evokes the U.S. actions in Iraq, skillfully incorporating the timeless trope of unjust government and civic responsibility of citizens.
"This version by Heaney, indeed, would not have been written without the stimuli of the words and actions of the current president," he said.
The Burial at Thebes
This Saturday, April 7 and April 8 at 8 p.m.
This Sunday and April 9 at 2 p.m.
$16
Students $9
At the Trueblood Theater
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Sat, 26 May 2012 19:04:58 -0400