Antigone in Ferguson was conceived in the wake of Michael Brown’s death in 2014, through a collaboration between Theater of War Productions and community members from Ferguson, Missouri. Translated and directed by Bryan Doerries and composed by Phil Woodmore, the project fuses a dramatic reading by leading actors of excerpts from Sophocles’s Greek tragedy with live choral music performed by a choir of activists, police officers, youth, and concerned citizens from Ferguson and New York City. The performance is the catalyst for panel and audience-driven discussions on race and social justice, the core component of the event. This multifaceted production will offer a glimpse not only into the effects of the tragedy in Brown’s local community, but also the trauma of police violence and racial injustice in communities of color in New York and across the nation. Local stakeholders and community leaders will participate as panelists, assisting in opening up dialogues with audiences. These guided discussions, which aim to promote healing and bridge the growing divide between law enforcement and local communities, will focus on the impact of racialized violence against communities of color, and the legacies of the tragic deaths of Michael Brown, as well as Eric Garner, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Saheed Vassell, and numerous other victims. The presentation will feature a rotating roster of acclaimed actors, including Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale), who will reprise the role she portrayed in the premiere of Antigone in Ferguson presented on the stage of Michael Brown’s high school in Ferguson in 2016. Other cast members include: Paul Giamatti (Billions), Tamara Tunie (Law & Order: SVU), David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck), Adepero Oduye (12 Years a Slave), Frankie Faison (The Wire) and Kathryn Erbe (Law & Order: Criminal Intent). Each week will feature a different group of actors. Tuesdays through Saturdays, September 13-October 13, 2018.
New York City, NY; NYC