TLAB SHARES HOSTS:
Theatre of the Bacchant
antigonē: a play against birth
Written by : Sophocles
Translator/Dramaturg: Lane St. Sebastian
Directed by : Kaila Tacazon
Stage Manager/Co-Producer : m cantu
Co-Producer/Assistant Director : Linoï Chemla
Scenic Designer : Trey Blevins
Sound Designer : Micah Carlsen
antigonē: a play against birth, is a 90-minute theatrical remounting of Sophokles’ Antigonē, newly translated by playwright and classicist, Lane St. Sebastian.
Sophokles’ Antigonē recounts the conflict between Thebes’ new king, Kreon, and his teenage niece, Antigonē, over the burial of Antigonē’s brother, Polyneikes, who incited a civil war within the Theban state. With Polyneikes’s burial banned, Antigonē violates the law to justly honor her dead brother, leading to her execution and the subsequent suicide of Kreon’s son, Haimon. This translation and production strives to inject a queer/transgender perspective into this ancient story, evoking themes of bodily autonomy stripped by an autocratic state and personal rebellion by the individual through its reinterpretation. Each character’s speech is translated in a different linguistic style, spiraling from Antigonē’s poetic free-verse, to Kreon’s American Realism, the Chorus’ iambic pentameter, and Teiresias’ ancient Greek itself. Polyneikes’s body— the source of strife within the story— remains on stage for the entire 90 minutes, forcing the audience to constantly confront the conflict of the show with no escape. The production itself is sparsely designed, highlighting instead the language of the new translation and the emotions behind each character’s motivations. Directed by Kaila Tacazon and produced by Theatre of the Bacchant, this production will bring QTBIPOC to the forefront of classics through its cast and production team, thus recasting the famous ancient Greek narrative of Antigonē into a direct commentary on our current American political conflicts.
We aim to ask our audience: Who, in our current society, is denied their humanity by an unyielding state? And who are the ones forced to speak for those without voices?
Image Credit : Art – Julia Kittle Kamp | Design – m cantu
PLEASE NOTE: The elevator at 357 is getting an upgrade – renovations are underway! Patrons will need to access the space via 2-3 flights of stairs. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Theaterlab at (212) 929-2545 or info@theaterlabnyc.com
Performances:
Tickets:
MEET THE ARTISTS
Kaila Tacazon (he/they)
Kaila Tacazon is a multi-hyphenate theatre maker who specializes in dramatic poetry and movement theatre. He is the Managing Director/Associate Artistic Director of Theatre of the Bacchant. Previous directing projects include: apokalupsis for the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, both featuring an all queer cast.
Lane St. Sebastian (he/him)
Lane St. Sebastian is a playwright, translator, and Latin teacher. His previous plays include: Sibylla (DFTC), goat song (USC), apokalupsis (Hollywood Fringe Fest Scholarship 2023), Alter (Sacred Fools), and In Defense of Medea (2025 ScreenCraft Stage Play Semifinalist). antigonē: a play against birth is his first translation of a Greek tragedy.
Myah Belle Durham (any pronouns)
Myah Belle Durham is an actor based in NYC. Myah just received their BFA in Dramatic Arts with an Emphasis in Acting from The New School last December. Some credits include Spring Awakening (Outcry Theatre) and Tuck Everlasting (Casa Mañana) in TX and Is God Is (The New School MFA) and In The Blood (The New School) in NYC.
Kamau Nosakhere (any pronouns)
Kamau Nosakhere is a Florida-born, Barbadian, New York-based actor and writer. A recent graduate of Fordham University, Kamau holds a double major in Theatre and English. He prioritizes bringing a very respectful, cooperative mindset to every process of which he is a part.
Keegan Vernon-Clay (they/he/she)
Keegan Vernon-Clay is a Brooklyn-based theater artist specializing in classical and experimental theater. They have a particular passion for physical storytelling, puppetry, and poetic language. BA Theater Arts, UC Santa Cruz, Class of 2020. National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Fall 2019. Follow them on Instagram @keeganvernonclay.
Gianni Sallese (he/him)
Gianni Sallese is a Toronto born NY based actor, writer, and director. Past credits include Michael in God of Carnage, Demetrius in …Midsummer (ScriptclubNYC), he also starred in Timeshares (coming soon). You can also see him at the Chain Theatre’s summer festival, as well as around the city in general: say hi, he doesn’t bite!
Laisa Garcia (she/her)
Laisa Garcia is an NYC-based actor and writer, and an NYU Tisch alum. Her creative work is inspired by her upbringing in the Rio Grande Valley, a region bordering Mexico in South Texas, and where she learned to tell stories. Her dream is to, one day, share these stories with you.
Christopher D. Regent
Christopher D. Regent is excited to perform here at THEATERLAB, in his first classical production. He has worked in other stage productions like “Sweet Charity”, ensemble and “Blurring Shine”. Traditionally he has worked in various sketch comedies and indie productions. His love of acting is grounded in learning and showcasing human perspectives.
J.L. Zhang (any pronouns)
J.L. Zhang is a writer, actor, and amateur leatherworker living in Brooklyn. You can unfortunately find them on Instagram at @rrazumikhin.
Colin Sears (he/him)
Colin Sears is very excited to be part of Theatre of the Bacchant’s antigonē!
Colin’s latest acting credits include: Henry V (Henry), Doctor Faustus (Wagner), and The
Revenger’s Tragedy (Vindice). He also directed productions of The Jew of Malta and ‘Tis Pity…with Cog Dog Theatre Troupe.
Susana Gómez Laverde (she/they)
Susana Gómez Laverde is a Colombian actor and visual artist, recently earning a BFA from NYU. Some of her credits are The Tonight Show, Blood Wedding, and The Gospel of Joan Crawford (Off-Broadway/Edinburgh Fringe). Susana strives to create community and share their own culture through their art.
Trey Blevins (he/him)
Trey Blevins is a prop artist, scenic designer, carpenter, and stage manager based in NYC. He has worked on shows throughout Los Angeles, New York, and Michigan at Grand Rapids Civic Theater, Circle Theatre Group, Applause Theatrical Workshops, Stagedoor Manor, and Columbia University.
Linoï Chemla (they/she)
Linoï Chemla is a director, producer, and performer from Miami with a BA in Theater focused on directing and performance. Previous directing/producing credits include How To Make Friends and Then Kill Them (Side B Society 2023) and Ace of Swords (Florida State University Spring Fringe Festival 2022). IG @linoiartist
m cantu (they/she)
m cantu is a Brooklyn-based artist and arts administrator. Select credits include Fractured Mirror (The Tank), Next to Normal, Cabaret (Lineage PAC), Zoot Suit, American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose, The Children’s Hour, and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (UCSC). M is an alum of the Lin-Manuel Miranda Family Fellowship, and a 2019 graduate of the National Theater Institute.
Micah Carlsen (he/they)
Micah Carlsen is a writer, creator and sound designer. He loves all things horror, queer and loud. He has been creating sound for the stage since 2022, most recently working on The Apologetics at The Tank and Ptolmavus at Frigid NYC. He’s honored to have been brought on to antigonē and would like to thank all of his family back home in Crowley, TX.
COVID-19 policy: In guidance with the city and state COVID-19 policies, we will no longer be requiring masks, but strongly recommend them.