News & Events Antigone at Amherst

A photo worth a thousand shares

Earlier this year, the photo of a lone female protestor’s arrest in Baton Rouge, La., made its way around the world. Shared by news networks and on social media, it seemed to illustrate a powerful moment amid nationwide protests against police shootings of African-Americans.

The photo caught the attention of Ron Bashford ’88, assistant professor of theater and dance, who connected it to a play he’s staging at Amherst. “A single woman brave enough to stand up to the powers at be,” says Bashford: “it’s very much like the beginning of the ancient Greek tragedy Antigone.”

A tragedy with a purpose

Each fall Bashford teaches the course “Plays in Play: The Ensemble and the Playwright,” in which students investigate the work of a single playwright. He also produces and directs one play, as a way to give students an opportunity to experience the playwright’s work firsthand.

After focusing on Molière, Shakespeare and Anton Chekhov in years past, Bashford selected 20th-century German playwright Bertolt Brecht for this year’s course. “Brecht’s an interesting choice because he has a way of writing and staging plays as platforms to change people’s minds,” says Bashford.

When Brecht staged Antigone in 1948, he added a prologue to serve as a contemporary lens through which his audiences would view the play. Knowing that Brecht’s intention was to encourage critical distance about the world around us, Bashford says the production at Amherst stages Brecht’s prologue for audiences today.

An ancient story with contemporary relevance

“We’re all invested in recreating a story that will speak to the challenges of our society today,” says Wesley Guimarães ’19, a theater and dance major from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who plays Kreon in the play. “Antigone, and especially Brecht's version, is very political, and it beautifully spotlights the brightness of a strong and determined heroine whose courageous actions set an example and call for change.”

To Bashford, the photo of the female protestor in Baton Rouge was resonant, not only in the play itself but also in the set design. Like many other protest photos, this one takes place “in a world of asphalt,” Bashford says—a reality that influenced the colors and textures selected by set designer and New-York based guest artist Nora Smith.

“In many ways, we are reinventing the story,” says Irisdelia Garcia ’18, an English major concentrating on digital humanities from Bronx, N.Y., who plays Antigone. “But in just as many ways, we are holding true to Greek theater and Brechtian values. I challenge the audience to think about the relevancy of Antigone, how its language and themes ring true to issues we experience today.”