Antigone(s): Ancient Greece/Performance Now
IDSEM-UG1705
Fall 2016
Tuesdays 3:30-6:10 PM
1 Washington Place, rm. 430
Prof. Laura Slatkin
1 Washington Pl., Rm 505
Off. Hrs (by appt.): T 2:00-3:30
Ph: 212.998.7363
[email protected]
Prof. Kristin Horton
411 Lafayette, Rm 303
Off. Hrs (by appt.): W 11:00-1:00; Th
11:00-12:00; 3:30-4:30
Ph. 212.992.9831
[email protected]
A production of Antigone is taking place somewhere in the world every day—right now, as you are
reading this. What was Antigone ? What is Antigone ? What might Antigone yet be? Our course—a
collaboration between a stage director and a classicist—begins with an immersion in Sophocles'
prize-winning play (441 BCE), with close attention to the history, politics, aesthetics, performance
conditions, and production features of ancient Athenian drama more generally. The second half of
our course turns to contemporary renditions of Antigone and will consider the dramatic and cultural
configurations each new production activates. Antigone's exploration of the complexities of gender,
kinship, citizenship, law, resistance to authority, family vs. the state, and religion (among other
issues) has been compelling for modern thought, and especially galvanizing to theaters of resistance
and dissent. Our classes will combine critical inquiry into the plays and surrounding discourse as
well as experiments in interpretation—including acting workshops and staging exercises. Students
need no background in acting, theater, or ancient literature, but do need critical energy and
discipline. Among the modern plays we will address, in the second half of the semester, are
reimaginings of Antigone by Brecht, Fugard, Miyagawa, Gambaro, Pongstaphone, and Silverman.
Course Assignments
Week 1 September
6
Introduction: aims and methods of the course; background to Sophocles’
Antigone.
Week 2 September
13
Sophocles, Antigone. Please read Antigone in its entirety (both Blondell and
Carson translations); in class we will focus on lines 1-375.
Secondary reading: a) Bacon, H., “The Chorus in Greek Life and
Drama”, Arion 3.1 (1994-95) 6-24. b) Allen, D., The World of Prometheus
(Princeton: 2000), c) Goldhill, S. How To Stage Greek Tragedy Today,
(Chicago: 2007), ch. 2 “The Chorus,” selections on NYU Classes; d)
recommended (not required): Martin, R. “Ancient theatre and
performance culture” ch. 2 in The Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman
Theatre edd. McDonald, M. and J.M. Walton (Cambridge: 2007) 37-49
Week 3 September
20
Antigone, lines 376-625. (and corresponding Carson passages)
Secondary reading: a) Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War (selections on
NYU Classes); b) Goldhill, S. Reading Greek Tragedy, (Cambridge: 1986), ch.
4, “Relations and Relationships”, 79-106
In class group scene readings.
Week 4
September 27
Antigone, lines 626-800. (and corresponding Carson passages)
Secondary reading: a) Easterling, P. “Constructing Character in Greek
Tragedy”, ch. 4 in Characterization and Individuality in Greek Literature ed.
Pelling, C. (Oxford: 1990) 83-99; b) Foley, H. Female Acts in Greek Tragedy
(Princeton: 2001) “Antigone as Moral Agent” 172-200. In class group
scene readings.
Week 5
October 4
Antigone, lines 801-1154. (and corresponding Carson passages)
Secondary reading: a) Vernant, J.-P. “Tensions and Ambiguities in Greek
Tragedy”, ch. 2 in Myth and Tragedy in Ancient Greece edd. Vernant, J.-P. and
P. Vidal-Naquet, tr. J. Lloyd (Cambridge, MA: 1988) 29-48. In class
group scene readings.
Week 6
October 11
Antigone, lines 1155-1352. (and corresponding Carson passages)
Secondary reading: a) Goldhill, S. How To Stage Greek Tragedy Today,
(Chicago: 2007), ch. 4 “Tragedy and Politics”, 119-152; b) Nesiah, V. “‘The
law, this violent thing’ dissident memory and democratic futures”, Neelan
Tiruchelvam Memorial Lecture, 2013.
Week 7
October 18
In-Class Midterm
Week 8
October 25
Sophocles’ Antigone in a version by Bertolt Brecht (Applause, 2000), translated by
Judith Malina.
Week 9
November 1
Fugard, A. The Island. A useful website for The Island:
http://www.devon.gov.uk/dcs/crossings/lit/island.htm
Secondary reading: Mee, E. and H. Foley, edd. Antigone on the
Contemporary World Stage (Oxford: 2011), selections.
Week 10
November 8
Miyagawa, C. Antigone Project.
Week 11
November 15
Pongstaphone, R. with May Thet Zaw. Antigone…Antagonist?
Week 12
November 22
Gambaro, G. Antígona Furiosa.
Week 13
November 29
Silverman, Jen. Bones at the Gate.
Week 14
Final Class Presentations
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December 6
Final Week
December 11
Final Class Presentations/Wrap-Up
Communication: This is a team-taught course, so please copy both professors on all e-mail
communication relevant to the course.
Readings: You must complete all course readings. Just reading the selections once is not enough.
We suggest you read them through, and consult with any introductions and notes then read them
again. For play excerpts, it is recommended that you read them aloud. Do not leave the readings to
the last minute.
Devices: We are sympathetic to the utility of smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc., but given the
nature of our seminar and the kind of work we’ll be reading and parsing, such devices create
barriers to full participation. This means that when class begins, your phones should be silenced and
your computers put away. You will also need to print out any assignments or papers needed for
class ahead of time.
Attendance: As this class only meets once a week, it is vital that you attend all classes. If you miss
more than one class (for any reason other than documented medical or other emergency), this will
be negatively reflected in your final participation grade. If you do have to miss a class, please inform
your professors and make sure you catch up with any work you missed by consulting with your
classmates.
Mitigating Circumstances: If you are aware of any conditions or circumstances that will affect
your course work in any way (such as learning disabilities, medical problems etc.) it is your
responsibility to make your professors fully aware of them at the earliest opportunity either in
person after class, by scheduling an appointment, via telephone, e-mail or in writing. If a student
fails to make due notification the professors will be unable to take any such circumstances into
consideration when setting work or calculating grades
Office Hours: As posted above, or by appointment; appointments can be made via e-mail. This is
a small seminar, so meeting with your professors is strongly urged.
Dress: Please dress comfortably for movement. You may have to remove your shoes in the dance
studio so you do not scuff the floor. We will be moving!
Rehearsal Room Etiquette: No food or drinks (except portable water) allowed.
Requirements (in addition to assigned readings:
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NYU Classes postings
For the weeks noted below, by 9 p.m. on the Sunday before class, please post on the NYU
Classes discussion board two (2) clearly formulated, substantive questions about the week's
readings (primary or secondary) that you think will stimulate or enrich class discussion. Everyone
will be responsible for reading all the postings each week and for being prepared to discuss them in
class. These postings will NOT be individually graded but considered part of your participation in
the course. Please post on the Sunday before Weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8-13.
Midterm
20%
An in-class written midterm will be administered Tuesday, October 18.
Final Presentation & Paper 25%
Students will give a final 10-minute presentation, either alone or in a group (the presentation time
will be adjusted). The presentation can be an illustrated lecture, a workshop, a movie, a reading of
a self-written scene, direction of a scene, etc. The object of the presentation is to illustrate a facet
of the course material in an engaging, content rich and creative way. A 1500-word reflection will
accompany the final presentation.
Take home final
25%
Analysis of selected passages from the plays we have read this semester.
Participation
30%
Participation is this class is essential. This grade will be calculated based on enthusiasm and active
contribution to the class, attendance, discussion, and postings to the Discussion Board.
***
Texts
All primary texts are available (under the course number and instructors’ names) at the NYU
Bookstore, (right across the street from Gallatin).
1) Sophocles: The Theban Plays (Focus Classical Library: 2002, 2004), translated by Ruby Blondell
2) Sophokles Antigone (Oberon: 2016), translated by Anne Carson
3) Fugard, Athol, et al, Statements (Theatre Communications Group: 1993)
4) Sophocles’ Antigone in a version by Bertolt Brecht (Applause, 2000), translated by Judith Malina.
Plays available on NYU Classes:
5) Pongstaphone, R. with May Thet Zaw. Antigone…Antagonist? (New Yangon Theatre Institute:
2015)
6) Gambaro, G. Antígona Furiosa. (Ediciones de la Flor S.R.L., Buenos Aires: 1989), transl. by
Marguerite Feitlowitz 1988. Published as Information for Foreigners: Three Plays by Griselda Gambaro
(Northwestern University Press: 1992)
7) Barfield, T., K. Hartman, C. Miyagawa et al, The Antigone Project (NoPassport Press: 2009)
8) Silverman, Jen, Bones at the Gate (2012).
All secondary readings are posted on NYU Classes.
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Play Attendance
Students are required to attend a performance of the Gallatin production of Antigone in the
Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts, Nov. 3-13 (performances on Nov. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12)
time, tba. Information regarding the reservation of tickets will be provided in October. Tickets are
free.
Recommended
Onassis Festival NY: Antigone Now
October 13-16, 2016
www.onassisfestivalny.org
A four-day free festival of contemporary interpretations of the Antigone story through visual and
performing arts, humanities, family activities, and digital media.
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