Antigone to be presented by Spartanburg Methodist College Players November 7-9

Spartanburg, SC – Spartanburg Methodist College and the SMC Players will present the classic Greek tragedy Antigone beginning Thursday evening November 7th at 7:30 p.m. in the Gibbs Auditorium located in Ellis Hall.  The timeless play, which examines duties to family, to God, and to the state, will continue with productions on Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th at 7:30 p.m.  The public is invited and general admission tickets are $5, area students tickets are $3, and all SMC students, faculty and staff are admitted free of charge.

“Though it was first produced almost 2500 years ago, Sophocles’ Antigone is remains particularly relevant to contemporary audiences,” said Dr. Les Buhite, Director of the SMC Drama Program. Antigone, the daughter of the infamous Oedipus, must choose between the edicts of her tyrannical uncle, the king Creon, and her loyalty to family and the traditional religious obligations toward the dead. The tragedy is set in the ancient Greek city of Thebes.

Dr. Buhite and the cast has modernized the dialogue and added a scene from Jean Anouilh’s famous adaptation from the 1940’s in German-occupied France.  Costuming will be modern, with occasional touches of classical lines.  The SMC production will also feature YouTube-style video to show offstage action and an anti-chorus of modern day-style newscasters to fill in the background and explain some of the actions and understandings that can get lost in translation.  For the chorus, he will bring in contemporary music with the intent to achieve same emotional impact as the original songs would have had to the Athenian audience in 442 BCE.

”King Creon refuses to let Antigone bury her brother, who had raised an invading army against his own city,” Buhite explains. “Contrary to the laws of the gods (as understood by Greek culture), Creon insists that no enemy of the city deserves to be treated with respect, even after death. Sacrificing her life in defiance of Creon’s new law, and honoring her brother despite their political differences, Antigone follows her conscience all the way to the play’s tragic conclusion.”

The SMC cast is composed of the following students:

Ryan Almquist is Creon. A sophomore Finance major, Ryan is the son of Todd and Tira Almquist of Taylors, SC and graduate of Eastside High School.

Torey Brown plays Antigone’s more level-headed sister, Ismene. A sophomore Fine Arts major, Torey  is the daughter of Garland Brown & Robin Brown of York, SC and a graduate of York Comprehensive High School.

Adell Gordon is Haemon, son of Creon, betrothed to Antigone.  A freshman from Greenville SC, Adell is the son of Shirley and Enrique Gordon and is majoring in Fine Arts.  He graduated from Berea High School.

Kathleen Grayson will play the role of Antigone, daughter of the late Oedipus. A sophomore pursuing a Fine Arts major, Kathleen is the daughter of Webster Grayson and Evan Haynie of Easley, SC and a graduate of Liberty High School.

Shakira Jackson is Tiresias, the blind prophet, a Newscaster, and a member of the chorus.  The freshman Fine Arts major is graduate of Chapman High School and the daughter of Joey and Diane Jackson, of Inman, SC.

Leah Meahl is Sophia, a modern-day scholar who provides the deeper social context in which the tragedy unfolds. A Wade Hampton High School graduate, the current sophomore is the daughter of Bruce and Rhonda Meahl of Greenville, SC and is majoring in English.

Kristen LaPointe, is the Sentry, a Newscaster, and a member of the Chorus.  A sophomore from Simpsonville, SC, Kristen is majoring in Pediatrics with a Music minor and is the daughter of Jeff & Lori LaPointe. She is a graduate of Mauldin High School.

Chasten Thomas, plays Creon’s Body Guard and is a sophomore from Inman, SC majoring in Accounting.  The Landrum High School graduate is the son of Joseph and Tami Thomas.

Ashley Whitt plays Eurydice, wife of Creon, mother of Haemon, and appears in the Chorus. The Spartanburg Sophomore is a graduate of Dorman High School.  Ashley is a Computer Science major and the daughter of Jim and Kim Whitt.

Danielle Winks, is Ana Kritis, a contemporary news analyst.  A Sophomore English major from Moore, SC, Danielle is a Dorman High School graduate and the daughter of Michael and Kerry Winks.

Carl Gibson serves as the production’s musical director and leader of the Chorus. A Sophomore Music major from Inman SC., Carl is the son of Gary and Robin Gibson and a graduate of Dependent Christian School.

Additional cast member members include:

Brittany Allen, a Freshman Fine Arts major from Columbia, SC and a graduate of Dreher High School.

Davis Phillips, a Sophomore Communications major from Inman SC.  Davis is a graduate of Spartanburg Christian Academy and the son of William and Melinda Phillips.

The SMC Production Staff includes:

Stage Manager: Hannah Faires, a Sophomore Education major from Mauldin, SC.  The Mauldin High School graduate is the daughter of Ned and Terri Faires.

Videographer and Assistant to the Director: Leo Kingsley, a Freshman Fine Arts major from Spartanburg, SC.  Leo is a  Dorman High School graduate and the son of David and Rita Plemmons.

Assistant to the Director: Adrian Dyer, a sophomore majoring in Religion.  Adrian is the daughter of Mikell and Marian Dyer of Pomaria, SC, and a Mid-Carolina High School graduate.

The performance of Antigone will be directed by Dr. Les Buhite, Director of the SMC Drama Program and Adjunct Professor of Public Speaking.  Dr. Buhite holds a BS in Communications Arts/Theater from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania; and a MA in Theater from University of Akron; and a Ph.D in Theater from Florida State University.