Belmont theatre has done it again.
“Antigone” is one of three Theban plays written by the famed Sophocles.
This play deals with the concept of right and wrong, especially when it comes to legacy and honoring those who have passed. It also deals with familial responsibility and loyalty. Sophocles was able to take all of these heavy concepts and weave them into one tragic but enriching play.
Belmont graduate Ara Vito took Sophocles’ play and wrote a contemporary version with less characters, set it in a fairly modern era and streamlined the plot so it focused more on character development.
Vito did this to make the play more accessible to modern theatre companies and easier to take on.
Belmont did so wonderfully.
The acting was phenomenal. From watching Kate Lackey’s cold and calculating Creon, to the ever reliable Antigone portrayed by Amanda Bell, to witnessing Brittany Reese’s pure, innocent Ismene grow throughout the course of the play, each actor brought an extra level of depth to his or her character which really deepened the meaning of the overall play.
The setting of the Black Box Theater only enhanced the already invigorating performances by the actors. The proximity of the audience to the actors made the spectators feel like a part of this wartime setting of Thebes.
The unspoken tension between Antigone and Creon could be felt, which just made the play even more of a treat to watch. The audience felt stuck in between the conflict of Aevar Jonsson’s Polynices and Sofia Tosches’ Eteocles.
Belmont University’s theatre program has outdone itself once more with the portrayal of the complex emotions of love and honor with the desire for order and duty.
“Antigone” is still being performed on Feb. 15 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. as well as matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are free for Belmont students, and it is recommended to reserve tickets ahead of time due to the small size of the theater.
This article was written by Mohansingh Udhwani. Picture courtesy of Belmont University Department of Theatre and Dance.