Antigone

Photo from the Portage Daily Register

Last night I attended my sister's drama club production of Antigone. It was the adapted version by Jean Anouilh. I was very afraid of what I might see when I went. Firstly, I don't think this is a very good piece to produce when you are resurrecting a drama program at a high school. It's a touchy subject.

My primary criticisms of this piece were technical. They were just easier for me to spot. And this is a show that is being directed AND designed by a professional designer. Without being too negative, all I have to say is that he should have concentrated his efforts on the design and left the directing to someone more capable.

Overall, the design was cohesive, but the lighting wasn't entirely cohesive with the costuming, or the scenery. There was one occasion where(see above photo)the lighting seemed to work against the costuming. If either the dress or the gel color were something other than red it would have made the scene easier on the eyes. There were some creative lighting elements that I thought worked quite well, like the colored glass Apollo patterns. They provided some nice, subtle texture on the cyc, and made for some interesting curtain warmers.