ANTIGONE X Breathes New Life Into A Greek Classic At Cal Rep

California Repertory Company, the producing arm of the CSULB Theatre Arts Department, continues its spring season with Antigone X by LA-based writer Paula Cizmar. The show, directed by Artistic Director Jeff Janisheski, opens on March 23rd in the Studio Theatre.

Antigone X is a contemporary meditation on epic clashes and conflicts: love versus loyalty, being silent versus speaking up, the powerful versus the oppressed. This modern interpretation of Sophocles' classic creates a world where the threat of violence pervades everyday life in the refugee camps surrounding the ancient city of Thebes. Antigone, the sister of two fallen soldiers, is caught between authoritarian rule and the higher laws of love and decency. This production - through dance, physical theatre and multi-media - shines a light on those who defy the odds and rise up against oppression.

Director Jeff Janisheski is a teacher, director and writer. Janisheski says "This thrilling new play reflects our current moment as a country: who will speak up and who will resist in the face of oppression. We want Cal Rep to be a home for writers like Paula - writers who eloquently weave together densely poetic language, strong political viewpoints and a deep commitment to plays as theatrical playgrounds for artists and audiences". Before Janisheski joined CSU as the Chair of the Theatre Arts Department and Artistic Director of Cal Rep, he was Head of Acting at Australia's leading drama school, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).

Playwright Paula Cizmar is an Associate Professor of Theatre Practice at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. She is an award-winning playwright whose work combines poetry and politics. Cizmar says "The resistance that Antigone instigates - and the resistance that a lot of women now are trying to cling to - is a direct result of the current president that we have: [the play] is aimed against that mindset and that kind of baseless and nonsensical authoritarianism." Her honors include two NEA grants; an international residency at the Rockefeller Study Center in Bellagio, Italy; the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, and many more. She is one of the writers of the documentary play Seven, which has been translated into 20-plus languages and has been produced in over 30 countries to generate dialogue about human rights.

Tickets: http://web.csulb.edu/colleges/cota/theatre/on-stage-now/index.htm. Prices: General Admission $20. Students (w/ID)/ CSULB Faculty & Staff/$15. Seniors (55+)/ Military: $17. Groups: Groups of 10 or more start at $12.5/ticket. Location: University Theater at CSULB, 7th Street and East Campus Drive.

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