Lalit Gupta
JAMMU, Apr 28: A competent presentation in Dogri of Antigone, the Greek tragedy by Sophocles written in 441 BCE, was presented by Samooh Theatre at the Police Auditorium, here today.
The Antigone’s story picks up where Sophocles’ trilogy of plays Oedipus the King also called Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus, leave off. The plot of the play is that Oedipus has just passed away in Colonus, and Antigone and her sister Ismene decide to return to Thebes with the intention of helping their brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, and avoid a prophecy that predicts they will kill each other in a battle for the throne of Thebes.
Upon her arrival in Thebes, Antigone learns that both of her brothers are dead. Eteocles has been given a proper burial, but Creon, Antigone’s uncle who has inherited the throne, has issued a royal edict banning the burial of Polyneices, who he believes was a traitor. Antigone defies the law, buries her brother, and is caught. When Creon locks her away in prison, she kills herself.
Meanwhile, not realizing Antigone has taken her own life, the blind prophet Teiresias, Creon’s son and Antigone’s fiancé Haemon, and the Chorus plead with Creon to release her. Creon finally relents, but in an instance of too-late-timing, finds her dead in her jail cell. Out of despair, Haemon and Creon’s wife have by now also killed themselves, and Creon is left in distress and sorrow.
Today’s production of Antigone’s translated in Dogri verse by Dr Sudhir Mahajan and directed by young Ravinder Sharma, was successful in bringing upon stage not only the grand setting but also maintaining a tempo befitting a classical Greek tragedy.
Use of minimal sets, suitable costumes designed without much ostentation, appropriate light design and above all effective background musical score, emerged as the strong points of the production that succeeded in highlighting the tragedy that the mighty words of the proud are paid in full with mighty blows of fate.
Ravinder Sharma’s directorial ability was reflected in effective use of Chorus, light fade-in and fade -outs in change of scenes, actor’s groupings and movements on stage and above all the staid rhythm in the delivery of dialogues that allowed the complex train of events to sink in minds of the audience.
The scenes where Creon is heart broken by deaths that follow one after the other, was the highlight of today’s presentation as it created the feel of great tragedy that befalls the arrogant.
Kanika Sharma as Antigone, Pankaj Sahrma as Creon, Priti Sharma as Ismene, Goutam Sharma as Haemon and Anku Rajput as Eurydice gave good performances. The Chorus comprised of Rajat Gupta, Rohit Chib, Ajay Tamang, Gautam Sahrma and Abhishek Bhat. Munish Malhotra acted in the play. Background score was designed by Surinder Manhas, lights by Avinash Lakhotra, choreography by Rohit Bains, makeup and Shammi Dhamir.
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