by Rai Sandhu ’25
Exactly one week ago today, Bellarmine’s latest theatre production, Antigone, played its final show. The play’s lead, the actress playing Antigone, was Marie Levkovich, a sophomore from Leigh High School. Additionally, other lead roles starred Rafe Ryan ’24 as King Creon, Sophia Tran ’24 (Saint Francis HS) as Ismene, and Henry Larson ’26 as Haemon. Adding on, the play consisted of a chorus made up of several different actors and actresses who served as the storytellers/bystanders as well as Creon’s three guardsmen. Most importantly, the show was directed by none other than Mr. Lum, a beloved teacher here at Bellarmine.
Before continuing with the play review, I will briefly discuss the contents of the play. Written by Greek philosopher Socrates, Antigone is an old Greek tragedy based on the events that transpired after King Oedipus’ death. As the story goes, King Oedipus killed his own father and slept with his own mother, resulting in four children: Antigone, Polyneices, Eteocles, and Ismene. After Oedipus’ realization of his atrocities, he gauged his own eyes and eventually died, unwillingly giving up the kingdom to his brother-in-law, Creon. With the context given, the main conflict of the play revolves around Antigone’s brother Polyneices. King Creon refuses the burial of Polyneices’ corpse as Polyneices represented a rebel figure in an act against Creon’s throne. Despite internally wanting to recognize Polyneices’ funeral, Creon continues to enforce these laws using his guardsmen. When Antigone challenges Creon’s authority and buries her brother on multiple occasions, she is put to death despite Creon’s intentions to have her remain alive: Creon’s son, Haemon, wanted to marry Antigone. However, upon realizing that Antigone is dead, he attacks his father and then takes his own life. The play ends with Creon wishing for his impending doom.
In my opinion, this production was very intriguing and captivating. Having been familiarized with the story of King Oedipus, I found the play quite easy to understand due to its authenticity. The play’s content as well as the excellent acting led me to feel as if the situation was real. One of my favorite moments in the play came during the conversation between Antigone and Ismene. In context, Ismene was begging Antigone to not go through with burying Polyneices. In expressing her fear of death and losing her sister, Ismene screams at the top of her lungs in a high-pitched and echoing shriek. I liked this particular moment as it showcased the actor’s ability to immerse herself in the role. Similarly, many other moments like this could be seen in the play as all the actors perfectly blended into their respective roles allowing for a fluid spectating experience.
Lastly, with the show being held in the Black Box, I would like to reflect on the intimacy of that space. Likely an intended aspect, the small nature of the stage environment suggested that the play’s important themes were relevant in the modern world. In my understanding, the play stressed the importance of individuality and pursuing happiness despite any restrictions. This was made evident through Antigone’s abandonment of her nearly perfect lifestyle.
To conclude, I cannot stress enough how creative and intriguing this production was. The brilliant actors and actresses combined with Mr. Lum’s genius allowed for a great show experience for many if not all who attended.