ANTIGONE

2023
FGCU TheatreLab
Fort Myers, FL

Directed by: Barry Cavin
Scenic Design & Charge: Lea Pick
Lighting Design: Kyle Carson
Costume Design: Barry Cavin
Sound Design: Barry Cavin
Stage Manager: Alexandra Adams
Technical Direction: Anne Carncross

Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, protests against King Creon's ruling that her brother is denied a proper burial. This production centers around the themes of authoritarianism and an oppressive ruler. The stone throughout the platforms are rugged but still polished for this society that is so heavily controlled. Painted on these panels that hang from the grid are fragmented parts of the Star of Vergina that create a complete image from a centered perspective. Within the center panel is a cut out from scrim to allow light from a fresnel to shine through - a kabuki drop falls in the middle of the set for the actors to play through Antigone's death in a shadow play.

Antigone was my first fully-fledged scenic design! I cherish this project and really value the ways that I have grown since. :)

PRODUCTION PHOTOS

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RENDERING

DESIGN PACKAGE

With a change of directors mid-production process, the entire concept changed. Starting from an open-ended idea of picking a protest, to which I started with an inspired set of the Supreme Court, it evolved to centering itself around fascism, power, and corruption.

[DOCUMENT BELOW INCLUDES BOTH CONCEPTS]

KABUKI DROP: SHADOW PLAY

Just before the major tragedy is monologued, a kabuki drop falls and a shadow play sequence begins showing that Antigone hangs herself, to which Haemon kills himself, and Eurydice (the queen) following the same consequence. Creon, the ultimate villian in this story, is left with a major loss of his son and wife due to his dictatorship.

THE STAR OF VERGINA

The Star of Vergina is a 16-pointed star named after where it was discovered - in King Philip II's tomb in Vergina. It represent power and the sun (linking to Greek gods). As the scenic design was coming together, the director wanted the abstract nature of it to also include an overpowering symbol to loom over the characters as the tragedy unfolded.