By Lara Gonzalez
If you’ve come to Miami University’s Stage 88 expecting to suffer through a long Greek drama you will be pleasantly surprised! Antigone, Presented by the Girls of St. Catherine’s is a new work set upon the basis of an old one. Madhuri Shekar’s drama is a modern play which brings you into the real-life drama of high school students who are coming of age. In the words of director Oluchi Nwokocha, “This play is about friendships, betrayal, love, burgeoning sexuality, growing up too soon and doing what’s right.”
Talented Cast in “Antigone…St. Catherine’s”
Miami University Theatre brings this drama to life with a very talented crew. The lead, Zamani Munashe, portrays Greta with an understated grace, at least at first. Her character displays the greatest change throughout the production, ending with floods of emotion matched only by the enthusiasm of her fellow cast members. Avery Smith’s Tamsin is a spot-on portrayal of the “black sheep” character. She slowly opens up throughout the show and forms unexpected alliance.
It’s hard to believe that Max Kaufman is only a sophomore. His portrayal of Jamie/Mr Reed provides just the right balance of endearment and (over) confidence. It is easy to believe that he is a faculty member– years older than the ladies surrounding him.
Solid Scenery
The set for this show is amazing. This unit set has statues, stained glass windows, and posters that bring you right back to the quintessential Catholic School setting–whether you went to school in one or not! Every detail shows refinement. Better yet, it is sturdy. This set takes a lot of abuse throughout the show and the audience never needs to worry if it can handle it. (Set Designer
The set for this show is amazing. This unit set has statues, stained glass windows, and posters that bring you right back to the quintessential Catholic School setting–whether you went to school in one or not! Every detail shows refinement. Better yet, it is sturdy. This set takes a lot of abuse throughout the show and the audience never needs to worry if it can handle it. (Set Designer Professor Gion DeFrancesco.)
Great Dramaturgy for “Antigone…St. Catherine’s”
There is a wealth of information in the show program which brings added dimension to this production. It provides context around the choices made in set design, costumes, and lighting…really all of the production areas, further enriching the show experience. (Dramaturgy team–Lexi Mangrum-Prokopiof and Isaiah Serra.) Unfortunately, the cell reception in the Studio 88 is poor, and connection to this rich program is hard to make in the space. Make sure that you save a copy of the link. Grab a slip with the QR code for after the show–or perhaps steal up the stairwell before the start of the show to download this context filled tome.
Overall
Antigone, Presented by the Girls of St. Catherine’s really is an unexpected delight. It is a drama, but it also delivers frequent laughs. It does what Art is meant to do–it makes you feel and it makes you think. The show runs Wednesday through Sunday March 13-17, 2024. Limited tickets are available. Performances on Saturday 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. CLICK HERE for tickets.
Lara Gonzalez has a BA in Music Performance from Case Western Reserve University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. She has performed in community theaters and semi-professional orchestras in Augusta, GA, Aiken, SC, and Cincinnati/Kentucky areas for 25 years. This is her first year with LCT.
