Open Forum

I'm looking for a challenge next year for my young actors, and a powerful production to bring to our MI state festival.  I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Antigone.  There are many translations and even the Anouilh version.  I'm wondering if any of you have produced any of these or if any of you have comments about which version would be the best to produce at the high school level.  Thanks for you input.

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DanielDobrovich
Director of Theatre
Cranbrook Kingswood School
ddobrovich@cranbrook.edu
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Personally, for high schoolers, I think the Robert Fagles version is the best: very powerfully written, accessible, straight forward but without dumbing down the language. I read several versions and found problems (in terms of high school production): Seamus Heaney's version is beautifully written but a little too esoteric for the kids, Timberlake Wertenbaker's experiments with strange staccato rhythms which might be a bit much for high schoolers, Ranjit Bolt's translation I found to be very flower-ry, and whilst I adore Anouilh's version, that might go over the head of several. I had previously used Fagles for a college production, and was thinking I would try something new. After all the different versions, and testing several out in class, Fagles was the hands down winner. Our school will be putting on a production this May, using a traverse stage. Would love to know how you're approaching it; we're making it modern day. Look forward to connecting. ------------------------------------------- Phillip Goodchild -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 02-09-2014 07:36 From: Daniel Dobrovich Subject: Antigone - which version I'm looking for a challenge next year for my young actors, and a powerful production to bring to our MI state festival. I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Antigone. There are many translations and even the Anouilh version. I'm wondering if any of you have produced any of these or if any of you have comments about which version would be the best to produce at the high school level. Thanks for you input. ------------------------------------------- DanielDobrovich Director of Theatre Cranbrook Kingswood School ddobrovich@... -------------------------------------------

Playscripts also has a shorter version, Antigone, Now. It is written for 4 actors but the chorus can be expanded. 

http://www.playscripts.com/play/1507


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John Perry
Drama/ Humanities Instructor
Atherton High School


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Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2014 12:00
From: Phillip Goodchild
Subject: Antigone - which version

Personally, for high schoolers, I think the Robert Fagles version is the best: very powerfully written, accessible, straight forward but without dumbing down the language. I read several versions and found problems (in terms of high school production): Seamus Heaney's version is beautifully written but a little too esoteric for the kids, Timberlake Wertenbaker's experiments with strange staccato rhythms which might be a bit much for high schoolers, Ranjit Bolt's translation I found to be very flower-ry, and whilst I adore Anouilh's version, that might go over the head of several.

I had previously used Fagles for a college production, and was thinking I would try something new. After all the different versions, and testing several out in class, Fagles was the hands down winner. Our school will be putting on a production this May, using a traverse stage. Would love to know how you're approaching it; we're making it modern day. Look forward to connecting.
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Phillip Goodchild

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Hello,

I know this is an old post, but perhaps you could mention where one can get the rights to perform the Fagles version of Antigone?

Thanks

------------------------------
Brandon Kalbaugh
Theatre Director
Lightridge High School
VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2014 07:46
From: Phillip Goodchild
Subject: Antigone - which version

Personally, for high schoolers, I think the Robert Fagles version is the best: very powerfully written, accessible, straight forward but without dumbing down the language. I read several versions and found problems (in terms of high school production): Seamus Heaney's version is beautifully written but a little too esoteric for the kids, Timberlake Wertenbaker's experiments with strange staccato rhythms which might be a bit much for high schoolers, Ranjit Bolt's translation I found to be very flower-ry, and whilst I adore Anouilh's version, that might go over the head of several.I had previously used Fagles for a college production, and was thinking I would try something new. After all the different versions, and testing several out in class, Fagles was the hands down winner. Our school will be putting on a production this May, using a traverse stage. Would love to know how you're approaching it; we're making it modern day. Look forward to connecting.-------------------------------------------Phillip Goodchild
Original Message:Sent: 02-09-2014 07:36From: Daniel DobrovichSubject: Antigone - which versionI'm looking for a challenge next year for my young actors, and a powerful production to bring to our MI state festival. I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Antigone. There are many translations and even the Anouilh version. I'm wondering if any of you have produced any of these or if any of you have comments about which version would be the best to produce at the high school level. Thanks for you input. ------------------------------------------- DanielDobrovich Director of Theatre Cranbrook Kingswood School ddobrovich@... -------------------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 3/18/2024 1:06:00 PM
From: Brandon Kalbaugh
Subject: RE: Antigone - which version

Hello,

I know this is an old post, but perhaps you could mention where one can get the rights to perform the Fagles version of Antigone?

Thanks

------------------------------
Brandon Kalbaugh
Theatre Director
Lightridge High School
VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2014 07:46
From: Phillip Goodchild
Subject: Antigone - which version

Personally, for high schoolers, I think the Robert Fagles version is the best: very powerfully written, accessible, straight forward but without dumbing down the language. I read several versions and found problems (in terms of high school production): Seamus Heaney's version is beautifully written but a little too esoteric for the kids, Timberlake Wertenbaker's experiments with strange staccato rhythms which might be a bit much for high schoolers, Ranjit Bolt's translation I found to be very flower-ry, and whilst I adore Anouilh's version, that might go over the head of several.I had previously used Fagles for a college production, and was thinking I would try something new. After all the different versions, and testing several out in class, Fagles was the hands down winner. Our school will be putting on a production this May, using a traverse stage. Would love to know how you're approaching it; we're making it modern day. Look forward to connecting.-------------------------------------------Phillip Goodchild
Original Message:Sent: 02-09-2014 07:36From: Daniel DobrovichSubject: Antigone - which versionI'm looking for a challenge next year for my young actors, and a powerful production to bring to our MI state festival. I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Antigone. There are many translations and even the Anouilh version. I'm wondering if any of you have produced any of these or if any of you have comments about which version would be the best to produce at the high school level. Thanks for you input. ------------------------------------------- DanielDobrovich Director of Theatre Cranbrook Kingswood School ddobrovich@... -------------------------------------------

If you're looking for an edgier version, Too Much Memory takes the story of Antigone and places it in the modern day with overt references to the war on terror. It probably would not be appropriate for many high schools, but I think it does a great job making the issues relevant. It has a cast of 8 or 9 and all of the characters are written vividly. 

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Kenneth Buswell
Drama Teacher

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Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2014 12:24
From: Daniel Dobrovich
Subject: Antigone - which version

I'm looking for a challenge next year for my young actors, and a powerful production to bring to our MI state festival.  I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Antigone.  There are many translations and even the Anouilh version.  I'm wondering if any of you have produced any of these or if any of you have comments about which version would be the best to produce at the high school level.  Thanks for you input.

-------------------------------------------


DanielDobrovich
Director of Theatre
Cranbrook Kingswood School
ddobrovich@cranbrook.edu
-------------------------------------------

David Rush (retired college professor, and playwright with resident and off-Broadway credits) has a new-ish adaptation published by Playscripts, Inc.  I stress "adaptation," as it's not just a translation of Sophocles, and at times it diverges from the source, but it captures some of the majesty and power of ancient Greek theatre in terms that modern high-schoolers can understand.  It has the added advantage of playing about 75-80 minutes, which saved me the trouble of cutting a full-length translation, when I knew that we were going to give some performances as assemblies during our 90-minute class periods.

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Jeff Grove
Theatre Teacher and Aesthetics Department Chair
Stanton College Preparatory School
Jacksonville, FL

I have used and loved using Anouil's Antigone at the high school level. It is easily adaptable to almost any time or place setting (we used the Civil War South) and the chorus can be augmented by as many voices as you might like to use. Word for word this translation was adaptable and worked beautifully. We performed it at a State Festival and it was enthusiastically received by the high school audience.

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Jill Campbell

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Original Message:
Sent: 02-10-2014 14:14
From: Daniel Dobrovich
Subject: Antigone - which version

I'm looking for a challenge next year for my young actors, and a powerful production to bring to our MI state festival.  I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Antigone.  There are many translations and even the Anouilh version.  I'm wondering if any of you have produced any of these or if any of you have comments about which version would be the best to produce at the high school level.  Thanks for you input.

-------------------------------------------


DanielDobrovich
Director of Theatre
Cranbrook Kingswood School
ddobrovich@cranbrook.edu
-------------------------------------------

Years ago, when I was a high school student, we did a production of Antigone using Anouilh's version. As a student, I loved the challenge that the language presented. This piece certainly does a wonderful job of introducing students to "high stakes" theatre, though in order for it to be an effective lesson the director ends up being equally challenged, as this is not the type of circumstance and language of modern day teens! When I later encountered Greek theatre as a college student in a BFA acting program, I felt so much more prepared than many of my peers and far less daunted! I would highly recommend Anouilh's version and commend you for trusting your high school students with such challenging material!
 
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Chelsey Cavender
Membership Service Specialist
Educational Theatre Association


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Original Message:
Sent: 02-10-2014 16:45
From: Daniel Dobrovich
Subject: Antigone - which version

I'm looking for a challenge next year for my young actors, and a powerful production to bring to our MI state festival.  I'm leaning pretty heavily towards Antigone.  There are many translations and even the Anouilh version.  I'm wondering if any of you have produced any of these or if any of you have comments about which version would be the best to produce at the high school level.  Thanks for you input.

-------------------------------------------


DanielDobrovich
Director of Theatre
Cranbrook Kingswood School
ddobrovich@cranbrook.edu
-------------------------------------------