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Alex Audette

Cast members sophomore Gwen Smith and senior Sandra Muro hold each other tightly, adding suspense to a very climactic scene.

Every year, the theatre program produces a Project Discourse play, which is student-directed production that reflects social issues and can be talked about within context of contemporary issues. The Project Discourse play Antigone ran from March 9 to March 11 and was directed by senior Stefania Giron.

 Antigone is an old Greek tragedy written around 441 b.c. by Sophocles about a girl who fights the state law in order to do what is morally right. Although originally set in ancient Greece, Giron made the artistic decision to adapt the setting to one similar to World War II.

“My goal of setting Antigone in a different time period was to bring the social injustices from both periods together and get the audience to start asking questions of why our world is like this,” Giron said. “Creating a new adaption felt extremely risky for the longest time, but as the process continued I felt confident about my decision.”

Though the play was written many generations ago, the social issues that develop in Antigone can still be seen as relevant to today’s society in the 21st century.

“Antigone was chosen because … the themes were very relevant in today’s world, so we thought that it would be a good challenge for us,” Director of Theatre Arts Joseph Alanes said.

According to Antigone Assistant Director Lauryn Lily, Project Discourse has given Giron and other participating students a chance to take part in and have a voice within their community. Participating in the play also gave them a chance to confront societal injustices head on.

The play Antigone focuses on how stubbornness and excessive pride have the capability of reaping disastrous consequences.

“King Creon is so concerned with being authoritative and being a strong King that he makes decisions without considering the ramifications for himself, his citizens, or his family” said English teacher Christine Waldron, who teaches Antigone in her sophomore classes. “Similarly, Antigone values her family’s honor and is willing to sacrifice herself for her brother. Neither one is willing to compromise and, as a result, both meet a tragic end.”

Through Antigone, Giron – who has previously worked in 19 theatre productions at the school – was able to find a connection within it that allowed her the ability to design the production from top to bottom.

“I worked really hard on the two previous shows and I saw my potential with those and I thought that I might as well audition,” she said. “I had a good concept and a lot of ideas in my mind and I thought that giving that to the world would be a good idea.”

As student director, Giron was able to embody her vision for the play by choosing her own cast along with many other aspects, such as props, costumes and stage sets, which allowed all that she imagined for this play to come to life.

“My vision is for people to really see the message behind Antigone and to see that Creon is not just a villain, he’s just someone trying to keep order and control in his country,” Giron said.

Giron’s role of student director gave her immense responsibility, but it also allowed her the opportunity to grow in the theatre program and learn from those around her.

“I believe it was a huge learning experience for everyone involved in theatre and it changed my life along with many others,” Giron said.