Displaying items by tag: Jean Anouilh

Promethean Theatre Ensemble has announced it will perform the Lewis Galantiere adaptation of Jean Anouilh's ANTIGONE, from May 31 through June 28 at the Den Theatre. Anouilh's play, which premiered in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1944, was itself an adaptation of the Greek play by Sophocles, believed to have been written in 441 BC. In the original myth of Antigone, the heroine defies King Creon's decree forbidding the burial of her brother. In Anouilh's adaptation, Antigone's dilemma is recast as a choice between following one's conscience and moral code versus capitulation to a totalitarian government. The play was a covert symbol of the French Resistance, with Antigone's "No" to Creon mirroring the French refusal to submit to German occupation. Galantiere's adaptation of Anouilh's text, which premiered on Broadway in 1946 replaced Anouilh's formal French with accessible prose that frequently uses American vernacular and has become the preferred version of ANTIGONE for contemporary performances. It also lightly shifted the tone to make the parallels to WWII more explicit for American audiences who hadn't lived through the occupation. This version employs relatable characters, unexpected humor, and accessible yet poetic language. 

Promethean's modern dress production, set in present times in a city very much like ours, will be directed by ensemble member Elaine Carlson, whose many roles with Promethean include Eleanor in THE LION IN WINTER, and the title roles in THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT and MRS. WARREN'S PRFOESSION. ANTIGONE will be performed from May 31 – June 27 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago.  The production will play through Saturday, June 27.

Carlson says,  "the theme of Sophocles' drama – choosing what is right over what is expedient - is timeless, but Galantiere's adaptation puts it into a setting that makes it even more immediate.  Maybe this time Antigone's courage will be contagious."
 
Carlson's cast will feature Promethean Ensemble members Heather Dennis as Antigone, Artistic Director Jared Dennis as Creon, Meghann Tabor as Ismene, Joshua Servantez as Haemon, Gunner Bradley as First Guard, Brendan Hutt as Second Guard, and Christina Renee Jones as the Chorus. The cast also includes marssie Mencotti (nurse), Gavin Blayne (Third Guard/ Messenger), Anthony J. Harris (Page), and Alex George (Eurydice). Understudies are Alex George (u/s Chorus), Anna Rose Steinmeyer (Antigone), Chris Lysy (Creon), Layke Fowler (u/s Haemon), Dame Grant (u/s Guards/Messenger), and Jennifer Mohr (u/s Ismene/Nurse/Eurydice/Page).

The ANTIGONE design team includes Trevor Dotson (Scenic Designer), Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Designer), Stefanie Senior (Sound Designer), RobbyMoe Reeves (Lighting Designer), Maureen Yasko (Violence and Intimacy Designer), and Tristan Brandon* (Props Designer). Also on the production team are Hayley Rice (Assistant Director), Alexa Berkowitz* (Production Manager), Esau Andaleon (Stage Manager), and Jeremiah Barr* (Technical Director).

• Indicates Promethean Theatre Ensemble member.

ANTIGONE
Written by Jean Anouilh, Adapted by Lewis Galantiere
Directed by Elaine Carlson
May 31 – June 27, 2026
Previews Sunday May 31 at 7 pm and Monday, June 1 at 8 pm
Regular Run: Thursdays – Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm. Additional matinees on Saturdays June 13 and 20 at 3 pm
The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago 60622
Ticket Prices: $35 general, $25 students and seniors
For tickets, visit https://www.prometheantheatre.org/project/antigone/ or The Den Theatre Box Office, 773-697-3830.

Contemporary adaptation of Jean Anouilh's poetic drama of a woman forced to choose between following her moral compass and obedience to the laws of her rulers. First produced under Nazi censorship in 1944 Paris, Anouilh's ANTIGONE explores the conflict between individual conscience and political expediency. Then as now, "going along to get along" wasn't tragedy from ancient history - it was personal tragedy with real world consequences.