ANTIGONE is “Rare” and “Impressive”
Antigone is officially open! Critics and audiences are stunned by Gabrielle Randle-Bent’s striking interpretation of Sophocles’s masterwork, praising this production as timely, bold, and fresh.
The response has been so positive, in fact, that Antigone has been extended by popular demand! This production now runs through Sunday, March 2 and performances are selling out. Get your ticket to Thebes before it’s too late!
“Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent makes Greek tragedy look easy, which it most certainly isn’t. She finds a style here — which the entire, exceptional ensemble aligns to — that expresses an ideal balance between the realistic and the presentational…What’s so impressive here is how cogently the big ideas are argued, and yet how personal, and immediate, they feel.”
— Chicago Sun-Times, 4 out of 4 stars
“Directed by Court’s associate artistic director Gabrielle Randle-Bent, this production is both sweeping and spare, hilarious and heartbreaking, anguished and uplifting—often simultaneously….one of the most stunning versions [of Antigone] I’ve yet encountered…”
— Chicago Reader, Reader Recommended
“Randle-Bent is a hugely talented theater artist, the kind of visual stylist with a precise and detailed idea for every moment…Antigone is a play made for Hyde Park and the campus of a university dedicated to hearing all sides; no wonder it’s selling fast.”
— Chicago Tribune, 3 out of 4 stars
“Ingenious…This production has big shoes to fill, and unsurprisingly, that’s a challenge it handily meets…The cast is uniformly excellent and plays their roles with sensitive skill.”
“As Zeus breathed life into clay figures to create humankind, so too does Court Theatre breathe new life into the ancient plays of Sophocles….Smoldering performances by the leads reflect the tragic nature of the play….Gabrielle Randle-Bent’s direction has actors leaping on and off the stage, disappearing behind hidden walls and entering from the audience, giving the show a ‘where will they come from next’ appeal that keeps the action smoothly flowing….As in the myth of Prometheus, Court Theatre brings the fire to Chicago audiences with Antigone, a spectacular finale to their Sophocles trilogy.”
“Visual art, fashion, poetry, vocal arrangements and body percussion work together to give us the emotional experience of Antigone. There is so much to eat in this production. Antigone is a whole meal, and I commend [Randle-Bent] for serving it up….Gabrielle [Randle-Bent] is an artist of exquisite taste, who has corralled Court’s cavalcade of classic designers to create one of the most aesthetically intriguing pieces I’ve seen in a good while.”
“Antigone is a bold adaptation that will surely get you rethinking what you know about the story of Sophocles and Greek tragedies.”
— Let’s Play Theatrical Reviews
“Antigone is a remarkably bold commentary about a hero’s resistance to prevailing authority: something which can happen anywhere in almost any era. Court Theatre’s production represents a fresh new approach to this classic tragedy...it is the addition of music and other flourishes that make the show particularly entertaining and accessible to those of all communities.”
“[Randle-Bent’s] many meticulous directorial decisions may come across as experimental but are more accurately described as ‘experiential.’ They’re meant to immerse us in the world of the play and make us feel what the characters are feeling.”