Antigone At The Border is the new onstage production at Milagro Theatre. The story is based on Sophocles’ epic about a headstrong girl who speaks truth to power in a struggle between God’s law versus man’s law.
The story has been reframed to take place in these current times, near the US-Mexico border. It centralizes themes of immigration and families affected by the Deferred Action for the Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.
When the body of her deceased brother is ordered to be left in the desert, DACA recipient and humanitarian aid worker, Antigone Guzman, confronts her uncle, Creon Cardenas, the newly-appointed border patrol chief of the Thebes sector.
This postcolonial reimagining of the Greek classic explores the age-old questions of membership and belonging to hopefully spark a conversation about the effects racism and bias have on immigrant communities.
Written by Marc David Pinate and directed by Reina Solunaya, the play is based on interviews with DACA recipients and Latinx Border Patrol agents. It sheds light on the emotional labor and mental health toll experienced by Latinx border communities affected by US immigration policy. It was co-commissioned by the International Sonoran Desert Alliance, Su Teatro and Milagro.
Performances are at Milagro Theatre, 525 SE Stark St., March 11-26, Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. Tickets are $20-$27 (with discounts for students and seniors) and can be purchased through Milagro.org or by calling 503.236.7253.
