On Aug. 28 and Aug. 29, students in Repertory Theater performed “Antigone.” The play tells the story of Antigone, a woman of Greek myth, and the consequences she faces after disobeying her father, Creon. It is the first NC Theater production of the school year.
Repertory Theater is the most advanced theater class at NC and is audition only. It focuses primarily on producing the fall play but puts on smaller venues throughout the school year.
Over the past month, senior Jesse Plew, who portrayed Creon, the king of Thebes, and his classmates have been working tirelessly in and out of class to fine-tune their production.
“Every day during class, we would run scenes, rehearse lines and run through the different parts of the show,” Plew said.
As the week of the performance approached, adjustments and improvements were still being made.
“Leading up to this week, I was struggling to memorize my lines and get everything down,” Plew said, “it wasn’t until Monday that everything started to click. I’ve always learned best through repetition and acting things out.”
Plew’s dedication paid off. His knowledge of his lines and his character were apparent to the audience.
Even those who do not frequent NC Theater productions were highly anticipating the performance. With stakes set high after the 2023 performance of Disney’s “Frozen” expectations were high.
“Outside of Frozen, this was the first play I’d seen our school do,” senior Jack Girton said, “I thought it was awesome. I wasn’t sure what to expect while coming into the show, but I am leaving more than impressed.”
From the moment Plew stepped on stage, his commanding presence was undeniable. His resonant voice perfectly captured Creon’s stern and rigid nature.
“You could tell the actors were truly dedicated and you could feel the emotion of the play in their performance,” senior Jack Girton said.
Throughout August, Repertory Theater not only honed their performance skills but also grew closer as a community. They now look forward to their many other productions, primarily the upcoming fall musical The Sister Act.
“I’m very excited about it,” Plew said, “Everyone is really talented and really fun to work with,”
Plew will be part of the ensemble in “The Sister Act” just as he was for “Frozen” last year.
In the close of “Antigone,” those in Repertory theater have not only added another successful production to the repertoire of NC Theater but have displayed a noticeable amount of effort and talent to get audiences excited for what is to come.
