Written by Paola Insauste Marín, News Writer
Photos by Austin Marsh
In a recent interview, I had the opportunity to sit down with Alexis Marsh, the director of the production of Antigone at Bryan College. This post-apocalyptic take on the classical Greek tragedy promises to challenge both the actors and the audience with its themes and unique presentation. Here’s what the director had to say about the production and the journey leading up to its opening night.
While the theater department prepared for the upcoming production of Antigone, there was a palpable excitement in the air. This isn’t your typical Greek tragedy, though—it’s a post-apocalyptic rendition that brings new energy to the ancient text.
What initially drove Marsh to choose Antigone was its timeless relevance. Although written over 2500 years ago, the play’s themes of law, morality and the conflict between the two continue to resonate in today’s world. She felt that exposing theater students to such a classical and complex text was important—not just to challenge their acting skills, but to immerse them in a narrative less familiar and more layered than contemporary works. It’s not often that students get to grapple with such profound questions on stage, and this production offered a perfect opportunity to do so.
However, producing a classical Greek tragedy comes with its own set of challenges. The translation chosen for the production is particularly dense, with actors having to memorize long, intricate passages. Some characters, for example, have lines that span two pages—memorizing those has been no small feat for the cast.
Beyond the memorization struggles, Antigone’s classical structure itself presents difficulties, especially the role of the chorus, which is ever-present on stage and interacts with the main characters. This is a stark departure from the modern, character-driven narratives that many students are used to. Figuring out how to seamlessly integrate this unique element of Greek tragedy into the flow of the production has pushed both the director and the actors in exciting new ways.
Despite these challenges, the production has also provided plenty of fun and creative freedom. The director, for example, couldn’t help but gush about the costumes, hair and makeup. With the play set in a post-apocalyptic world, the design team has been able to experiment with bold, unconventional looks that bring a futuristic, dystopian feel to the stage.
The students embraced this imaginative direction—getting to wear makeup and costumes that go beyond the everyday has added an extra layer of excitement to rehearsals, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the world they’re creating.
But it’s not just the aesthetic elements that have come together beautifully. The director shared their pride in how the entire concept of the play has unfolded. From the graffiti-splattered set to the inventive sound and lighting designs, this production is unlike anything the theater department has done before. The students’ dedication to tackling a challenging text and an unfamiliar style of production has been inspiring, and the result is something that Alexis is confident will surprise and captivate audiences.
For Alexis, this production stands out from past works in many ways. Not only is Antigone a classical tragedy, which is a rarity in the theater department’s repertoire, but it also introduces a heavier, more serious narrative that may be unfamiliar to the college’s audiences.
Yet, there’s something powerful about confronting such a tragic storyline, especially for a community rooted in faith. It offers a stark contrast to the often-happy endings found in other productions and encourages viewers to reflect on deeper questions—particularly the balance between following government laws and one’s own moral code, a key theme in the play.
One of the most poignant messages the director hopes to convey through Antigone is the danger of unchecked pride. The character Creon, whose pride leads to his downfall, serves as a cautionary tale. The director wants the audience to walk away reminded of the importance of humility and the need to recognize when pride prevents us from correcting our mistakes.
Casting the production was another interesting element of the journey. After an evening of monologues from the auditioning actors, callbacks gave the director a better sense of how the students might embody the various characters. While the director had some ideas in mind, there were surprises—new faces in the department who outshone expectations and secured roles that perhaps weren’t initially planned. It was a delightful reminder of the depth of talent in the student body.
Beyond the performances themselves, the director hopes this production will leave a lasting impact on both the theater department and the wider community. From a technical standpoint, the innovative use of lighting and sound demonstrates how much the department has grown in recent years. Additionally, the director believes that diversifying the types of productions staged at the college—shifting from the familiar to the more experimental—will open new possibilities for future storytelling.
Balancing creative freedom with staying true to the script has been a delicate yet rewarding process for the director. After all, a director’s role is to bring the written word to life, transforming what’s on the page into something that resonates with a live audience. Through careful collaboration with the actors and an understanding of the deeper meanings behind the text, Alexis has shaped Antigone into a production that remains faithful to the original while offering a fresh, visually stunning interpretation.
