LES Shakespeare Company's ANTIGONE Begins This Month

LES Shakespeare Company veers to Greek tragedy this year with a production of ANTIGONE by Sophocles adapted and directed by Melody Erfani and presented by Planet Connections Festivity at Paradise Factory Theatre opening June 30with subsequent performances on July 6, 8, 9 and 10. Nick Neagle is choreographer and original music is by the band Lady and the Lion. The cast is Adriana Bohmier, Patrick Falcon, Chantelle Goulevitch, Kevin Mackenzie Mejia, Mike Maloney, Emily Shankman, Jae Woo, Yokko and Zackery Betty.

Antigone rejects her uncle Creon's decree that her brother Polynices should go unburied, thereby condemning his soul to eternal unrest as punishment for having killed their brother in a mutually fatal fight over the throne of Thebes that has made Creon king. Antigone asks her sister for help to give Polynices a proper burial but, fearing Creon's wrath, she refuses. Antigone alone covers her brother's body with dirt in complete defiance of Creon's orders. When he is informed of her act of civil disobedience Creon summons her to answer for herself. She admits to her guilt but challenges Creon's moral authority. He condemns her to death in response. Creon's son Haeman, engaged to Antigone, tries to persuade him to spare her, but he refuses. The blind prophet Tiresias then warns Creon that the gods side with Antigone, but he does not heed the warning...until it's too late.

Founded in 2015 LES Shakespeare Company is committed to bringing the diverse Lower East Side community together to enjoy an innovative approach to the works of Shakespeare and other classic plays performed at Lower East Side venues. Last year they presented productions of Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet which both won the praise of critics. This year they're proudly participating as part of the socially and environmentally conscious Planet Connections Festivity, a theater festival that raises awareness and financial support for causes they believe in. A portion of LES Shakes ticket sales will go to benefit the Lower East Side Girls Club, a cause that ties in well with ANTIGONE's story-line centering around a strong young female standing up for what she believes in. Later this summer LES Shakes will present their 2nd Annual "Arts in the Park", a free family oriented performing arts festival that showcases performance artists in theater, dance music and clowning at the East River Park Amphitheatre on July 23rd.

LES Shakespeare Company's artistic director Melody Erfani,has an MFA in directing from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University and was a participant of the 2013 Lincoln Center Directors Lab. She directed LES Shakes 2015imaginatively conceived and staged productions of Twelfth Night and Romeo & Juliet.

LES Shakespeare's ANTIGONE, part of the 2016 Planet Connections Festivity, runs at Paradise Factory, Upstairs Theatre (64 E. 4th Street between Bowery and 2nd Ave.) beginning Thursday June 30. The performance schedule is as follows: Thurs. 6/30 at 5:30PM, Wed. 7/6 at 6:30PM, Fri. 7/8 at 7:40PM, Sat. 7/9 at 3:15 PM, Sun. 7/10 at 11:30AM. Running time is 80 minutes. Tickets are $18. For tickets go to https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/27385/1467345600000or visit LES Shakespeare at http://www.lesshakespeareco.org.

Photo by Alexander Koo