Humanities
Level 5
2 February 2011
Antigone Project—an alternative to Part Two of Tempest Project (60 points)
This project also involves your envisioning your own production, but with fewer problems so that it is comparable to part two of the Tempest Project.
The Tempest Project is due Wednesday, February 9 th
The Antigone Project is due Thursday, February 17 th
Late Projects will lose 10 points per day late
PROBLEM ONE : A CONTEMPORARY ADAPTATION OF ANTIGONE
Adapt the play in such a way as to comment on a modern situation and political context—any time period and setting after the end of WWII will be acceptable. Adaptations keep the same basic characters and plot, but make other adjustments quite freely to suit their larger purposes (just as the Athenian playwrights did with the ancient myths).
Antigone was adapted at least twice in the 20 th century by playwrights Jean Anouilh and
Berthold Brecht, both revolving around issues of Nazi occupation of France. These two playwrights used the classical drama to comment allegorically on a modern conflict. Anouilh’s adaptation (also called Antigone ) is more complex in its characterization and was more successful, so if you wish to take a look at an example, that is the best one to consider.
What you want to do as a director is set your Antigone in a modern political or international situation—a real one will work best—and explain how your newly imagined
Antigone will shed light on the conflict, either directly or indirectly. (Because Anouilh’s play was produced during the Nazi occupation, he had to disguise his commentary on the Nazis—so the setting and time frame are left rather ambiguous, and Creon is not overtly parallel to the Nazi occupiers. You may need to remain vague if you wish to stage your production within a country in political strife—such as current day Egypt, for example.)
Your solution to problem one will explain why and in what ways the modern situation you have chosen is parallel to the situation of the Antigone , including parallels between the characters in the play and your modern equivalents. (Your modern equivalents may be fictional if you wish.) It will also explain what you are trying to convey about the modern situation by using the parallel to Antigone . To put it another way, you are making an argument, with Antigone as your support, for the parallels between the situation in Thebes and the modern conflict you have chosen. Be sure your argument uses specific scenes, actions, quotations, and events from the play as support for the parallels you plan to develop. In the course of your argument, include what you hope the audience will see or understand about the new conflict by overlaying the classical one.
(20 points)
PROBLEM TWO: ANTIGONE OR CREON
—WHO IS YOUR MAIN CHARACTER?
Complete your second problem on one of the two main characters
—whichever one you want to bring out more fully in your production. (This will depend to a large extent on the modern situation you are commenting upon.) How do you see your Antigone or Creon? What is his or her central motivation? In what ways will the audience sympathize with your Creon or
Antigone? How will the struggle between the two be conveyed in your production? Will they both be tragic? (These questions suggest the possible direction your solution could take, but you may devise other questions and set your own direction if you wish.) Be sure to use specific scenes, actions, quotations and events from the play to support your vision of the character.

PROBLEM THREE: SET, COSTUMES OR MUSIC
This problem is identical to the last problem on the Tempest Project
For the one you choose, set out your solution along with accompanying explanation or rationale as instructed below.
MUSIC : set out your choices and rationales for at least three scenes in various parts of the play—be sure to explain where the music will be used and how it will underscore either literally or symbolically the theme-image or character you are trying to develop.
SET DESIGNS : set out detailed designs for at least three scenes in various parts of the play— be sure to explain how these designs will underscore the theme-image or character you are trying to develop, including any symbolism or use of motif that may be significant.
COSTUMES : set out basic costumes for 3-4 characters in two scenes from different parts of the play. Be sure to explain how these costumes will underscore the theme-image or character you are trying to develop, including any symbolism or use of motif that may be significant