Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Satoshi Miyagi uses Japanese noh tradition to bring poetry to ANTIGONE, to mesmerizing effect

• By drediman
• October 4, 2019
• No Comments

A scene from Satoshi Miyagi’s adaptation of “Antigone” at the Park Avenue Armory. Photo by Stephanie Berger.

One of the toughest tickets to come by currently in town is Shizuoka Performing Arts Center’s adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone at the Park Avenue Armory (the rest of the run is sold out, according to the venue’s website). For those of you who are unfamiliar with the compact but powerful play, it tells the story of Antigone’s plight to give her deceased brother Polynices a proper burial, regardless of the decree instated by her uncle Creon – the new ruler of the city of Thebes – that prohibits the act (Polynices had waged war on Thebes). What follows from this stalemate is a series of events that devolves into tragedy.

Performed in an expansive 18,000 gallon pool of water, this production is one of those epic visions that can only be conjured in spaces like the Park Avenue Armory’s mammoth Wade Thompson Drill Hall. Various modes of eastern performance styles converge in director Satoshi Miyagi’s surreal and mesmerizing take on the well known Greek tragedy, most notably Japanese noh theater (another prominent feature of the production is Indonesian shadow play). Mr. Miyagi populates his Antigone with an army of what seems to be Buddhist monks, who over the course of the show shapeshift between characters in the play, musicians, or meandering, lost spectral souls/ghosts.

In addition to the parade of ravishing stage pictures, an integral component of the production is its rousing percussive score – stirringly performed live – which underscores the tragedy poignantly. The cumulative effect is a hypnotic and poetic sensory experience that quietly takes your breath away.  As those familiar with the Japanese noh tradition know, much of such shows are characterized by intense stillness and deliberately choreographed minimalist movements. This allows for deep reflection and meditation on the timeless themes of of Sophocles’ still strikingly relevant play. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing this approach to theater as simply sleep-inducing; such generous opportunities to contemplate elude most contemporary theater productions and comes as a breath of fresh air.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

ANTIGONE
Off-Broadway, Play
Shizuoka Performing Arts Center / Park Avenue Armory
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Through October 6