In the light of Motley's production of ANTIGONE, which premiered in October 2007, Jyoti Vyas reminisces two earlier productions of the same play.
The recent production of ANTIGONE by the Motley theatre company has proved to be an important event for Mumbai theatre lovers; the inaugural shows were booked in no time. ANTIGONE is one of those plays that has been an all-time favourite of theatre practitioners as well that of the discerning theater audience. On the one hand the play poses a challenge to theatre practitioners and on the other it raises the audiences' curiosity about fresh interpretations. This renowned, original Greek play was written by Sophocles between 400 and 300 B.C. Many centuries later in 1942 it was adapted by the French playwright Jean Anouilh when the country was reeling under Nazi occupation. It is Anouilh's modern version that has come to be widely staged.
The theme of the play is basically about an individual's revolt against the state. Antigone represents the Individual while her uncle Creon, who has taken over the reign of Thebes represents the State. Antigone does not agree with her uncle Creon in principle and their debate ranges from political compulsions to the ideals of love and duty. Antigone has made the choice and Creon vainly attempts to dissuade her. This is the crux of the play. The first time that I came to know of this play was in 1963 at the National School of Drama, Delhi. Mr. Alkazi had then just taken over as director of the School and I was doing my specialization in Direction. I assisted him during the production of the play.
In Mr. Alkazi's production, the narrator (sutradhar) was played by Om Shivpuri. He sealed the tragic destiny of all the characters with great command; he was the key character at par with Antigone (Sudha Shivpuri-(nee) Sharma). Antigone in Mr. Alkazi's production was an embodiment of singlemindedness and indomitable courage. Creon (Agnihotri) was cast as a typical politician with a wavering character, stupidly cunning, ruthlessly selfish and hypocritically humble. Each of his arguments therefore to dissuade Antigone and convince her of the righteousness of his action did not hold.
The set was simple; there was a long platform at the back of the stage and behind it was a plain cyclorama. The costumes were of a thick material and the colours were muted. The narrator however was in contemporary attire. The lighting was somber, keeping in line with the mood of the play. The total impact of the play was overwhelming. It was staged just after the Indo- China war. Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru who was then the Prime Minister came to see the play. After the show he quietly walked over to the foyer of the AIFACS Hall- Delhi, and with a moist voice told Mr. Alkazi 'Bahot Dinon Ke Baad Itana Achcha Dekha'.
After that in the mid 90s I saw another production of the play, once again in Delhi. Creon was played by Mr. Bhaskar Ghosh, the secretary of the Information & the Broadcasting Ministry and Director General of Doordarshan. Sabina Jaitley played Antigone. The production was more or less true to the spirit of the script. It did not indulge in any extraneous theatricality and had the desired cathartic effect. I recall the complete devastation at the end of the play and a tired Creon carrying on with the burden of living that he had chose to thrust upon himself. With Antigone's death he lost his only son and loving wife. The play ends with a faint ray of hope-a child comes forward to lead a tired crushed Creon.
The recent production of Motley's ANTIGONE is different from the two versions I have seen earlier. The opening note, the time frame and even the mood to an extent struck me as completely unlike my earlier two experiences. I wanted to see the play I knew! Although once the play began it was gripping. The stage design had lights set at various angles, which illuminated the pillars. The central entrance at the back of the stage was also illuminated with a strong and bright light colour during the more dramatic moments of the play. This mood elevation through the simple but effective light design is evocative.
The most interesting aspects of the play however are the performances. Ratna Pathak Shah's Antigone is flawless and superb. She successfully portrays a seventeen years old girl with myriad emotional nuances. Nasseruddin Shah's Creon is overpowered by his artist's calibre and personality. As a result Creon appears as a man in complete command and one who is capable of making each move with shrewd calculations. Naseer's Creon is KING and not a cook as described by Antigone. Benjamin Gilani's chorus/narrator, Divya Jagdale's Ismene and Heeba Shah's messenger also come across well.
Even if one differs with the vacillating focus between Creon and Antigone in Motley's production, the play is a must for theatre goers. The power of the plot, the unconventional subject and treatment, strength of characterization and logical culmination of the tragic act is just superb!
*The writer is a senior theatre and television person who has trained under Ebrahim Alkazi at the National School of Drama (NSD). She has written for publications such as 'The Asian Age' and is a regular contributor to the Prithvi Theatre Newsletter (PT Notes). She also offers theatre training to students at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and is an important critical voice for the Gujarati Theatre.
