Set Design

There are so many locations and playing areas that need to be represented in the set design for Antigone. Some designers might think that it is absolutely pertinent to have set pieces and changes for each of the locations, but with a classic story like Antigone, I believe that the words and language are far more important than the what the set looks like. A good choice for a classic story like this would be a unit set. Replicating the style of architecture from ancient Greece would be important. Stair units, columns, and archways should all be incorporated into the design for the set.

A lot of Greek architecture was built with stone. Obviously, building a set made of stone wouldn't be logical. But replicating the cold feeling and tones of stone structures is important to convey to the audience.

Ancient Greek Funeral Practices

The story of Antigone starts with a funeral. Or lack of a funeral. And because the Greeks were so tethered to the consistency of ceremonies and celebrations, when Creon denies a burial for Polynieces the conflict arises. So why was it so important for Antigone to throw dirt on her brother? What did it do for his soul? By the 6th Century BCE ideas of the afterlife and proper procedure for burial had already been established. The idea of Hades and Persephone ruling an underworld filled with "shades" of souls had been shared through "the Odyssey" by Homer. Like how the Catholic church takes responsibility to pray it's relatives into Heaven, the women of Ancient Greek families were responsible for the passage of the deceased soul.

"Relatives of the deceased conducted the elaborate burial rituals that were customarily of three parts: the prothesis (laying out of the body), the ekphora (funeral procession), and the interment of the body or cremated remains of the deceased."

Source: Death, Burial, and the Afterlife in Ancient Greece | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The actual burial of the corpse was not the most important aspect of a funeral (most bodies were entombed anyway). But it was important for Antigone to do something, ANYTHING, to aid in the flight of her brother's soul.





Sources:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dbag/hd_dbag.htm
http://www.morbidoutlook.com/nonfiction/articles/2002_11_greekfuneral.html

Adaptations

There have been so many opportunities to adapt the story of Antigone because of it's relevance through history with it's themes of tragedy, rivalry, and struggle of the powers. Not only has the play been adapted into more modern versions (like in my first blog with the Transformers) but recording artists have used the story to influence an album. Heaven Shall Burn released a full length album in 2004 titled "Antigone".



it's not exactly my taste of music. But the whole album chronicles the story of Antigone and her struggle against Creon.

many operas have been written as well. Everyone loves a good rock opera! This is the most famous Czech rock opera... something I'm sure they are very proud of.


Another interesting medium that was used to portray Antigone is a comic book. David Hopkins created graphic novel based on the story by Sophocles. This is an image of Thebes from the novel.

The Script

http://books.google.com/books?id=zCgBAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Antigone&hl=en&ei=UjDYTP76OYKgsQOe9JGNCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

and if for some odd reason you can't read Greek (who doesn't?!) then try this link

http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/antigone.html

or if you like modern adaptations, this snippet might be to your liking.

http://books.google.com/books?id=zx_D56N3GiYC&pg=PA74&dq=Antigone+Adaptations&hl=en&ei=AzLYTMvuFIycsQPov-WMCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

A Modern Adaptation??

This is an amateur, yet surprisingly accurate re-telling of the "Antigone" via Transformers