The Rock River Players Announce
Open Auditions for the Sophocles Tragedy
“Antigone”
to be Performed in September of this Year
The auditions will take place at the Williamsville Hall,
35 Dover Road, Williamsville, Vermont
on Saturday, March 9, 3 to 5 PM
and Monday, March 11, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Everyone, with or without acting experience, is encouraged to participate.
For anyone unavailable on these dates, private arrangements can be made, and/or for a copy of the script, please contact the director, John Moran at jhnm590@aol.com.
Time Commitment to be in Antigone:
To ensure an excellent presentation we will need to devote considerable time in our preparation. I have prepared a tentative schedule that may be added to or curtailed depending on our progress.
Generally our rehearsals will take place on Monday and Tuesday evenings (6:30-8:30) at the Williamsville Hall.
Following is a proposed calendar- leading up to the performances September 13-14 in Brattleboro and September 20-22 in Williamsville.
Open Auditions: March 9 and 11 (as noted above)
Table read of the play: March 25
Full play rehearsal: April 8
Note below: rehearsal by scene will only require actors in scene as scheduled
Play rehearsal by scene: May 7 and 20
Play rehearsal by scene: June 4 and 17
Full play rehearsal: July 1 and 2
Play rehearsal by scene: all subsequent Mondays and Tuesdays in July
Off Book by August 5
Full play rehearsal: August 5 and 6
Play rehearsal by scene: All subsequent Mondays and Tuesdays in August
Production weeks of tech, dress rehearsals and performances: September 9 thru 22.
Synopsis of the Play
Sophocles’ “Antigone” is a powerful play of characters, all of whom as people, caught up in life and death confrontations, evolve in the course of action and come to matter to the audience. The tragedy commences with the king Creon’s decree that Polyneices, who traitorously led an army against his native Thebes, will lie where he fell in battle, unburied and open to the elements and wild animals. Antigone, although death is the punishment for disobeying Creon, attempts to bury Polyneices, and sets into motion all the tragic events in this classic work.
Parts being cast:
ANTIGONE (young, female)- daughter and half sister or Oedipus- the antagonist, defies Creon’s decree and attempts to bury Polyneices out of sense of duty and familial love. She is as stubborn as Creon, her uncle, and presents with no regrets as to the consequences of her actions, until toward the end of the play, when she realizes what life experiences she will not have.
ISMENE (young, female)- sister of Antigone- more typical of women in this setting, starts off as compliant and fearful of Creon, but displays courage as the drama unfolds.
CHORUS/COUNCIL of ELDERS (old or middle age, 3 men)- provide background and interact with characters; defer to Creon at the onset but become more independent in the course of the play.
WATCHMAN (young, male or female)- the only common person in the play, and although fearful for the message brought to the king, is not adverse, in comic relief, to speaking back to Creon or the Chorus.
TIRESIAS (old, male)- brings dire communications to Creon from the gods.
HAEMON (young, male)- son of Creon and fiancé of Antigone- in advocating on Antigone’s behalf with Creon, goes from a dutiful son to a rebellious one.
MESSENGER (any age, male or female)- narrates for Sophocles and on what happens off-stage with commentary. Only static speaking character, unchanged by circumstances of the play.
EURYDICE (middle age, female)- Creon’s wife and Haemon’s mother- blames Creon for the consequences of his actions.
Nonspeaking roles:
Attendants of Creon (young or middle age, 2 male or female)
Attendants of Antigone (young or middle age, 2 male or female)
Servants of Eurydice (young or middle age, 2 male or female)
Teresias’ Guide (young boy)
For more information, contact info@rokriverplayers.org or jhnm590@aol.com