Kerri Kozak
From the U of C’s Oedipus Tyrannos and Antigone
University of Calgary students tackle Sophocles’s classic tragedies
For centuries Sophocles’s tragedies have been regarded as sacred theatrical texts stories that remind us of the choices we make and how they shape our lives and our society. Humanity’s plight is at the heart of the texts in the ancient and revered Greek tragedies Oedipus Tyrannos and Antigone the University of Calgary drama department’s 2007-08 season opener. The poetical performance is based on a contemporary translation by the esteemed Timberlake Wertenbaker and is directed by visiting artist Jeanette Lambermont-Morey.
Oedipus Tyrannos chronicles the myth of Oedipus and his doomed attempt to surmount the guidance of the oracle while tending to the plague spreading through Thebes. Antigone tells the story of the prideful daughter of Oedipus who will not abide by mortal laws and chooses to commit a crime to honour her dead brother. Lambermont-Morey believes these Greek tragedies are worth revisiting. "It’s not for nothing that these plays have survived hundreds and hundreds of years” she says. “These characters these people exist everywhere in the world today." The actors work closely under her guidance as the texts demand intense scrutiny and commanding performances.
Jim Dugan head of the drama department invited Lambermont-Morey to guest direct this production. "Jim and I performed in children’s theatre together many years ago — he was a rabbit and I was a frog" she laughs. "We’ve been friends ever since. He’s wanted to get an outside director into the program."
To assist the actors in finding their characters’ intentions and reactions Lambermont-Morey suggested the idea of incorporating the physicality of Japanese Butoh dance. Known for its poetic surreal qualities this style of dance has lifted the actors to a new level of emotional connection. Devon Dubnyk who portrays Kreon feels the method has enriched his performance. "You can see the psychological pain that the performers are expressing and how they are getting there” he says. “We are listening to each other but our body is also listening being hit by it and reacting to it."
Jessica Robertshaw who stars as Antigone agrees. "I think we all felt that it works so much better because we didn’t feel that we were ‘acting’ tortured or ‘acting’ terrified; it was just coming to us."
The student actors are excited to meet the challenge of performing Sophocles’s work. "We have to free ourselves from the academic history of the play and reinvent it for ourselves” says Lambermont-Morey. “If we’re successful and our experience is legitimate it will get added to the ongoing history of these pieces. It will help explain why they endure. Each company’s investigation is unique and legitimate in its own way. It’s a great honour to be able to work on this stuff."
