Photo Flash: First Look at Soup Can Theatre's ANTIGONE at Toronto Fringe

Soup Can Theatre presents a visceral and physical adaptation of Sophocles' legendary tragedy ANTIGONE that ties ancient Greece and modern-day Toronto together by drawing inspiration from the searing images of the 2010 G20 Summit protests, as well as the worldwide 'Occupy' movement. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

Sophocles' timeless story centres on Antigone, a young Theban woman determined to bury and honour her two brothers, both slain fighting on opposite sides of a senseless war. This act, in violation of an edict put forth by Creon, the iron-willed King of Thebes, forces her to both confront and defy his authority in the name of principle – a brave and noble choice with costly consequences.

Utilizing the play's original text as the foundation for his vision, director Scott Dermody – in collaboration with his top-notch ensemble cast – has infused the production with elements of contact improv and physical theatre that reference iconic and incendiary visuals taken straight from the front pages. By revealing parallels between Antigone and today's politically divisive climate, Dermody aims to examine themes of social justice, humanity's historic penchant for bilateral conflict, and the long-standing tradition of using rebellion as a tool for change.

The cast features Cydney Penner as Antigone, Thomas Gough as Creon, Leah Holder as Ismene, Glyn Bowerman as Haemon, Kathryn Malek as Eurydice, Michael McLeister as Teiresias, Chloe Payne as Sentry/Messenger 1, John Chou as Messenger 2, and Adriana Crivici, Daniel Kim, Heather Motut and Aaron Rothermund in the chorus.

The creative and production team includes Director – Scott Dermody; Set Designer – Courtney Cathers; Costume/Prop Designer – Morgan-Leigh Hearty; Technical Director/Lighting Designer – Randy Lee; Sound Designer – Mike Rocha; Producers – Justin Haigh & Sarah Thorpe; Stage Manager – Alice Ferreyra; and Assistant Stage Managers – Gabriel Nylund & Leslie Thorpe-Dermody.

Antigone marks Soup Can Theatre's return to the Toronto Fringe after their cabaret spectacle Love is a Poverty You Can Sell took the 2010 festival by storm, garnering four and five star reviews, and being selected to participate in the coveted 'Best of Fringe' performance series. Antigone also follows in the footsteps of Soup Can Theatre's stirring and critically acclaimed 2011 production of Marat/Sade (nominated for three 'My Theatre' Awards and one 'Broadway World' Award) which too fused past and present, in keeping with their mandate to "reinterpret classic theatre for a twenty-first century audience."

The show runs at Randolph Theatre, 736 Bathurst St, south of Bloor (formerly the Bathurst St. Theatre), from July 4 through July 15, 2012. Tickets are $10 and available at www.FringeToronto.com.

Soup Can Theatre is a vibrant Toronto-based theatre company dedicated to the reinterpretation of classic theatre for a twenty-first century audience. Our aim is to use existing works as a means to explore and comment on contemporary issues and societal challenges, and in so doing, to offer our audiences a theatrical experience that is both entertaining and enriching. For more information, visit www.SoupCanTheatre.com.

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