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<p>Antigone loves her brother, who died in battle.</p><p>And when King Creon, her future father-in-law, decrees that her brother&#8217;s body should be left to the birds and wild dogs rather than properly buried, she defies him &#8212; though there&#8217;s a death sentence for anyone who disobeys Creon&#8217;s order.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s hard to tell what you would do in this situation,&#8221; said April Sparks, of Archbald, who has the title role in the University of Scranton Players production of the classic, 2,500-year-old Sophocles play, which opens Sept. 27 in the university&#8217;s Royal Theatre. &#8220;I would like to think my beliefs are solid enough that I would say &#8216;No, I don&#8217;t want to forget them.&#8217; &#8220;</p><p>Antigone is brave and doomed and, Sparks said, a strong role model.</p><p>&#8220;She has the will and self-confidence to fulfill exactly what she wants to do regardless of the forces trying to stop her. It&#8217;s an excellent lesson to learn,&#8221; said the actor, who is a communications major with a broadcast and media track.</p><p>The burial is fraught with meaning, Sparks said, because Sophocles wrote the story in ancient Greece, where leaving a person unburied would be tantamount to &#8220;stopping his peaceful transition into the afterlife. More importantly, burying him shows a respect to the gods. If it&#8217;s not fulfilled the people who didn&#8217;t bury that person will be held responsible.&#8221;</p><p>While the University&#8217;s production keeps the tradition of a Greek chorus, the setting of the show has been updated. &#8220;It&#8217;s desolate, like a war zone,&#8221; Sparks said, adding that the weapons include non-firing assault rifle replicas.</p><p>The play opens with Antigone asking her sister Ismene to help bury their brother. Ismene refuses, quibbling &#8220;Antigone, you are mad. What could I possibly do? &#8230; Help you with what? &#8230;. Bury him! You have just said the new law forbids it &#8230; Think of the danger. Think what Creon will do &#8230; We are only women. We cannot fight with men!&#8221;</p><p>Later, Sparks said, Ismene will come into her own.</p><p>She&#8217;s partial to a scene, fairly throbbing with emotion, in which Ismene &#8220;is dragged onto the stage and Creon asks if she had anything to do with (burying the brother).&#8221;</p><p>By this point, Ismene wants to share in the blame, and the punishment.</p><p>&#8220;Do you refuse me, Antigone?&#8221; Ismene asks. &#8220;I want to die with you. I too have a duty that I must discharge to the dead.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;You shall not lesson my death by sharing it,&#8221; Antigone responds.</p><p>&#8220;What do I care for life when you are dead?&#8221; Ismene asks.</p><p>Another scene to watch for, Sparks said, is one in which an old prophet named Tiresias tries to give Creon advice, which Creon doesn&#8217;t take well. &#8220;The acting on all sides is incredible,&#8221; Sparks said, giving credit to cast mates Andrew Vizzard, who plays Creon, and Adam Hill, who plays the prophet. &#8220;Every time I see it, I love it.&#8221;</p><p>Directed by Michael O&#8217;Steen, the play runs Sept. 27-Sept. 29 and Oct. 4-Oct. 6 in the Royal Theatre in the McDade Center for the Literary and Performing Arts on The University of Scranton campus. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m., and the Sunday performances begins at 2 p.m. For more info, contact the Players box office at 570-941-4318 or visit thescrantonplayers.com. Attendance is free.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">April Sparks of Archbald portrays &#8216;Antigone&#8217; in the classic drama, written by Sophocles 2,500 years ago and presented at the University of Scranton this weekend and next. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_antigone.jpg</photo0><caption0>April Sparks of Archbald portrays &#8216;Antigone&#8217; in the classic drama, written by Sophocles 2,500 years ago and presented at the University of Scranton this weekend and next. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted photo </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_creon.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Andrew Vizzard portrays Creon, the ruler Antigone defies. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_creon.jpg</photo1><caption1>Andrew Vizzard portrays Creon, the ruler Antigone defies. </caption1><photoCredit1>Submitted photo </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mary Therese Biebel</p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT</p></shirttailMeta></div>

University of Scranton presents classic drama ‘Antigone’