Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design
Senior Fall 2019 Residency
Antigone: Filmed, Noh-Inspired Theatre
This project was inspired by the students’ fascination with Greek mythology, Greek drama, the longevity of those stories and how the intriguing themes so closely parallel today’s socio-political climate.
The 12th grade class at Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design, led by Emily Fields, were specifically studying the Oedipus Trilogy: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone. Those plays inspired questions such as: Who or what is in charge? Is there such a thing as fate? Are human struggles the same now or have we changed since ancient times? The resulting artwork illustrates some of their findings: As with Greek plays and myths, life right now is uncertain, rife with difficult decisions, unknown forces, violence and surreality.
We employed a combination of theatre tools inspired by Satoshi Miyagi’s rendition of Antigone at Park Avenue Armory: Slow movement, use of shadow and disembodied voices to emphasize emotion or convey story, plus Noh theatre’s use of mask, designed by each student to convey character. We also used ancient Greek performance techniques such as choral speaking and tableaux. This film is a mash-up of those tools illustrating a heightened version of the students’ lives and how they ultimately see their experience in today’s world: Really Greeked up.
Sophomore Spring 2020 Residency
“To Be”?
In working with Mr. Koestner’s 10th grade classes at Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design, our initial idea was to create 3-line scenes focused on the subject of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, highlighting the play’s thematic connections with young people and their modern day struggles. But when COVID-19 struck right after the 3rd session of a 10-session residency, we quickly shifted gears.
What you will hear is a collection of modern soliloquies, inspired by Hamlet, reflecting themes of isolation, mental illness, war, trauma, heartbreak, despair, revenge and many others. The soliloquies are massaged into very thoughtful, collective, stream-of-consciousness meanderings which are often deeply personal. While the final product definitely mirrors the tone of Hamlet’s soliloquy, illuminating the students’ experiences and inner struggles, it ultimately conveys the complex emotions students feel in the wake of the new and overwhelming challenge of being a young person during a pandemic and profound civic unrest.
Note: You will find the pieces in scripted form next to the visual recordings. The Avatar images are a visual statement of the students’ points of view. They illustrate the point where Hamlet’s and the students’ emotional states merge.
