Southeastern Theatre to present Antigone: In These Times

Southeastern Louisiana University Theatre Mainstage will present the final production of its 2024-25 season – the premiere of an original adaptation from Sophocles with Antigone: In These Times. Scheduled to run April 9 – 12, outside on the west side of Pottle Music Building near Friendship Circle, the free production will be presented at 7:30 p.m. each day and has a running time of 70 minutes.

The production is adapted by Instructor of Theatre and Director of the production Anne-Liese Fox with student devised text and original music and sound design by student Connor Planchard of Prairieville.

Additional faculty members contributing to the production include Professor in Visual Art + Design Steve Schepker, scenic and lighting design, and Assistant Professor in Visual Art + Design Mona Jahani, costume design mentor and costume shop manager.

“This timeless play asks questions about the limits of democracy in the face of individual rights,” Fox said. “Last fall students engaged in writing workshops to develop the choral interludes for the play on social justice issues.”

Student writers for the production are Anna Alexander of Denham Springs, Noelle Chutz of Walker, Madeline Cupit of Denham Springs, Havana Encalada of Covington, Liam Glynn of Mandeville, Ainsley Havard of Metairie, Robert Lott of Folsom, Micah McJunkin of Mandeville, Travis Nevers of Covington, Skylar Phillips of Baton Rouge, Sara Torres of Holden, Tre Smith of Addis, Blaine Tusa of Madisonville, Brooklynn Vaccaro of Ponchatoula, Megan Whisenhunt of Denham Springs, and Kaleigh Wood of Slidell.

Before each performance on site there is a pre-show tabling event on Sustainability with Southeastern student organizations Reconnect Southeastern and Solar Seed, and the community organization Keep Hammond Beautiful will collect glass recycling for Love the Boot Week. The pre-show tabling event starts at 6:30 p.m.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and sit under the stars and oaks for this timeless play, Fox said.

Fox directs the cast of Southeastern students featuring Nevers as Creon, Mara Montecino of Loranger as Antigone, Chutz as Ismene, Ina Pegues of Slidell as Teiresias, McJunkin as Haemon, Emma Batty of Madisonville as Eurydice/Theban leader, and Lott as guard/boy.

Playing Creon’s Cabinet leader and messenger is Kaylyn Riley of Denham Springs, and serving as members of Creon’s Cabinet are Tusa, Mikayla Douglas of Roseland, and Jae Hooks of Ponchatoula.

Portraying Gods in the performance are Planchard as Apollo, Natalie Orgeron of Kenner as Themis, Angelina Neal of Baton Rouge as Artemis, and Daphne Hudson of Prairieville as Pan.

Ensemble members include Anna Alexander of Denham Springs, Daquincy Arnold of Baton Rouge, Aaron Bridges of Mandeville, Cupit, Meg Hedges of Plaquemine, Hudson, Brianne Leedy of Independence, Sophia Maranto of Slidell, Neal, Orgeron, and Vaccaro.

The student production team includes McJunkin, dramaturgy; Catherine Sipiorski of Covington, costume design; Torres, puppet design; Havard and Rhiannon Cook of Kenner, stage managers; Henry Foster of New Orleans, graphic designer; and Torres and Jolie Gunter of Walker, puppet construction.

For more information, contact Fox at [email protected].