In celebration of its 50th anniversary, NC State’s University Theatre is performing a rendition of “Antigone,” the first play the theater has produced.
“The Burial at Thebes” offers a new-age translation of Sophocles’ “Antigone,” which depicts a timely exploration into the conflict between those who affirm the individual’s human rights and those who must protect the state’s security.
“It is a new version of ‘Antigone’,” said John McIlwee, the director of University Theatre. “Everything is not exact because we wanted something that was a bit more accessible to the audience, but the whole story is there.”
“The Burial at Thebes” is very much in keeping with “Antigone” in terms of the structure of the play, and the confrontations between the main characters of Antigone and Creon, according to Mia Self, the assistant director of University Theatre.
“The story of Antigone is still very relevant today, 400 years later,” Self said. “We listen to the arguments from politicians about why we choose to go to war. We ask why things happen, and we listen to the news and hear about things like Ferguson and the Chapel Hill shootings. We look to put these things into some kind of context, and all of the sudden, the words of Sophocles seem to have a real present feel.”
McIlwee said the play’s ongoing relevance has prompted the theater to produce adaptations of “Antigone” before. However, University Theatre chose to perform “The Burial at Thebes” to celebrate its 50th anniversary because the rendition is in direct correlation with the theater’s first-ever performance.
According to McIlwee, some of the achievements the University Theatre has seen over the past 50 years include the expansion of the number of shows offered during each play, the 2007-2009 renovation of Thompson Hall and the addition of a theater minor to the NC State curriculum.
“Regardless of all of this, I think that the biggest achievement of all is creating a place that attaches its students to it,” McIlwee said. “When I first came here, it wasn’t abnormal to have more students performing and working behind the stage than people in the audience. Now, almost every show is sold out of tickets.”
Over the next 50 years, McIlwee hopes that the University Theatre will still be going strong and will be recognized as a valuable asset to the university.
“I hope that we are doing the same thing that we are doing right now, and that is providing the theater experience for every student on campus who chooses to participate, or chooses to attend,” McIlwee said. “We can only hope that it is bigger, that there are more people coming and more people participating.”
In regards to celebrating 50 years, McIlwee and Self both agree that this anniversary is a landmark for University Theatre.
“It is exciting and promising to know that at a school of this type, a research oriented, and technical oriented school, that the arts are so well supported on campus,” McIlwee said. “Even though we don’t have a theater major, what we do have are dedicated students, incredible staff and a very supportive administration.”
