Season in Union Square
A version of Sophocles’ Antigone
by Seamus Heaney
directed by Charlotte Moore
January 14 – March 6, 2016
At the DR2 Theatre in Union Square
Irish Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney’s dazzling adaptation of Antigone brings life and breath to Sophocles. First written as a response to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, it stands today as a timely reminder of the conflict between the defense of state security and the protection of basic human rights. It is a brilliant contemporary poet’s possession of a classic.
After the War of the Seven Against Thebes, Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, learns that her brothers have killed each other, having been forced onto opposing sides of the battle. When Creon, King of Thebes, grants burial to one brother but not the other, Antigone’s defiance can only end in ruin.
“beautifully spare and potent… The Burial at Thebes barrels toward its conclusion with a brutal certainty. It’s always exciting to listen to… lovely to hear even as it tells a vicious tale.” –The New York Times
“the show grabs Heaney’s text by the throat… a fierce bit of bravura language” –Time Out
“raw passion…pitiful and affecting” –The New Yorker
“The classic conflict between the state and the individual and civil versus religious rights has never been so well articulated… reminds us once again why we keep returning to the Greek well for critical contemplations of universal issues. –Theater Pizzazz
“Excellent…Mesmerizing” –Wolf Entertainment Guide
“a lean, stalwart play that makes no attempts to muddy or over-complicate the familiar tensions of Sophocles’ tragedy… successfully locates the lasting power in a very familiar story.” –Star Ledger
“A sterling production…This is a must-see.” –Blog Critics