Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an a ...

's play ''Antigone'' is a

tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...

inspired by

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...

and the play of the same name by

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or c ...

. In English, it is often distinguished from its antecedent through its pronunciation (, approximately ''an-tee-gon'').

Performance history

Original production

The play was first performed in Paris at the Théâtre de l'Atelier on February 6, 1944, during the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

occupation. Produced under Nazi

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...

, the play is purposefully ambiguous with regard to the rejection of authority (represented by

Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., ...

) and the acceptance of it (represented by Creon). The parallels to the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

and the Nazi occupation are clear, however. The original cast included Monelle Valentin (Antigone),

Jean Davy Jean Davy (15 October 1911 – 5 February 2001) was a French film, stage voice actor. Career He was a Sociétaire of the Comédie-Française. In the premiere production of ''Antigone'' in Paris, 1944, Davy created the role of Créon.

(Créon), Suzanne Flon (Ismène), and André Le Gall (Hémon); the staging, decor and costumes were by

André Barsacq André Barsacq (24 January 1909 – 8 July 1973) was a French theatre director, producer, scenic designer, and playwright. From 1940 to 1973 he was the director of the Théâtre de l'Atelier. He was the brother of Russian production designer Léo ...

British première

The play received its British première by the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

Theatre Company at the New Theatre, London, on 10 February 1949. The production was produced by

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

(who also played the role of Chorus) and had the following cast: *''Chorus'' -

*''Antigone'' -

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

*''Nurse'' -

Eileen Beldon Eileen Beldon (12 September 1901 – 3 August 1985) was an English stage and film actress. She had a successful career as a Shakespearean actress as well as in modern repertory theatre. Biography Eileen Beldon was born on 12 September 1901 in B ...

*''Ismene'' - Meg Maxwell *''Haemon'' -

Dan Cunningham Dan Cunningham (1 January 1917 – September 2001) was a British actor who made few screen appearances but was a noted stage actor, performing at Eichstätt. He appeared in Laurence Olivier's ''Richard III'' (1955) as Lord Grey. He was married ...

*''Creon'' -

George Relph George Relph, CBE (27 January 1888 – 24 April 1960) was an English actor. He acted in more than a dozen films, and also many plays. He served in the British Army in the First World War, and was shot in the leg, hindering his return to acting. ...

*''First Guard (Jonas)'' - Thomas Heathcote *''Second Guard (a Corporal)'' - Hugh Stewart *''Third Guard'' - George Cooper *''Messenger'' - Terence Morgan *''Page'' -

Michael Redington Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

*''Eurydice'' - Helen Beck

Adaptations

Actress

Katharine Cornell Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893June 9, 1974) was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York. Dubbed "The First Lady of the Theatre" by critic A ...

produced and starred in a 1946 production at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. Sir Cedric Hardwicke played the role of King Creon. Also performing were Bertha Belmore, Wesley Addy, Ruth Matteson, George Mathews, and Oliver Cliff, and

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

(as the Messenger), Michael Higgins (The Third Guard). The production was staged by Cornell's husband

Guthrie McClintic Guthrie McClintic (August 6, 1893 – October 29, 1961) was an American theatre director, film director, and producer based in New York. Life and career McClintic was born in Seattle, attended Washington University and New York's American Aca ...

. The translation was by

Lewis Galantière Lewis Galantière (October 10, 1895 – February 20, 1977) was a noted American translator, man of letters, and sometime government official. He is particularly remembered for his friendships with the " Lost Generation" American expatriate wr ...

. It has since been published many times. In 1959, it was stated at the East 74th Street Theatre in Manhattan, New York City. There was an English-languag
television production
for the BBC in 1959 starring

Dorothy Tutin Dame Dorothy Tutin, (8 April 19306 August 2001) was an English actress of stage, film and television. For her work in the theatre, she won two Olivier Awards and two ''Evening Standard'' Awards for Best Actress. She was made a CBE in 1967 and ...

. In 1974, an American television production of the play, presented on PBS' ''

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...

'', starred Geneviève Bujold and

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...

. There have also been more recent English translations by

Barbara Bray Barbara Bray (née Jacobs; 24 November 1924 – 25 February 2010) was an English translator and critic. Early life Bray was born in Maida Vale, London; her parents had Belgian and Jewish origins. An identical twin (her sister Olive Classe was al ...

in 2009 () and by Jeremy Sams in 2002 ().

References

External links

{{Authority control 1944 plays Contemporary philosophical literature Plays by Jean Anouilh Plays based on Antigone (Sophocles play) Plays set in ancient Greece