The Keene State College theater department presented the Greek play, “Antigone,” by Sophocles as part of a University System of New Hampshire (USNH) project involving Plymouth State University (PSU) and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) to stage all three plays in the “Oedipus Cycle.”
PeggyRae Johnson directed Keene State’s production of “Antigone.”
“Oedipus at Colonus,” was staged by UNH and directed by CJ Lewis.
Plymouth State University presented “Oedipus the King,” directed by Elizabeth Daily.
The Keene State College troupe traveled to UNH in Durham on Feb. 25 to perform “Antigone,” before returning to Keene to perform at the Redfern Arts Center.
On March 8, Keene State will travel to Plymouth State University to, again, perform “Antigone”.
Peter Roos / Contributed Photo
Keene State students Heather Hunt and Kenon Veno performed the title roles of Antigone and Creon, respectively.
PeggyRae Johnson, director of “Antigone” and professor of theatre and dance at KSC, said, “I love working with the students here at Keene State. I find the students here to be really collaborative and take responsibility for their work. They also have a genuine interest in the world around them.”
Regarding KSC students’ dedication to performing theatre, Johnson said, “Theatre is a lot of work Often, students put in 12 to 14 hour days only to get up and do it again. I like that hard work ethic.”
Referring to the unique opportunity for audiences to see the complete “Oedipus Cycle,” Johnson said she hopes “the audience will appreciate the material diversity of the three plays since all productions present the Oedipal myth differently.”
Johnson also emphasized the relevance of the “Oedipus Cycle” in today’s society.
She said, “‘Antigone’ includes a couple of characters who believe there is one way to see things; we live in a society that’s behaving the same way. I hope audience members might hear that and think there’s another way to look at things.”
Professor Johnson also emphasized the educational importance of the project to perform all Oedipus plays. She said, “Ensemble and collaborative work is important to education.”
Ethan Layfield, a first-year at Keene State, attended the performance of “Antigone.” Layfield said, “It was great to watch different play structure. It was a pretty unique performance.”
Cindy Clausen, also a first-year at Keene State, viewed all of the “Oedipus Cycle” performances.
Regarding “Antigone,” Clausen said, “It was really great acting. It was interesting to see the differences in the three performances. The costuming was also great [and] very consistent.”
The Greek Project hosted by the USNH schools was hosted by the UNH Department of Classics, Humanities and Italian Studies, John C. Rouman Classical Lecture Series and the University System of New Hampshire Office of the Chancellor.
Ethan Chalmers can be contacted at echalmers@kscequinox.com
