Anticipation in the audience grew while the lights dimmed as two figures approached and a spotlight went up. The energy of the performers is intense and serious. As the actors crossed the stage suitcases in hand, “HALT” is screamed. The actors freeze and the stage goes dark.
Antigone in Munich, unfolds the secret life of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Society, a group of young adults pushing for passive resistance against the German government during WW2. The White Rose Society did this by spreading pamphlets of information about the German Gov. all over Europe. When asked why this show is so important even now, more than 70 years after the holocaust Ms.Myktyn (Director) said,”Stories about young people fighting for what’s right will always be important.”
The show featured veteran seniors like Greer Danzey (Hans), Gavin Mcreavan (Mohr), and Lorelei Stahl (Sophie) as well as newer performers on the stage. When speaking with Ms. Mykytyn she said the dedication from all actors was impressive, she said, “Many of the cast members were playing real people and they worked very hard to portray them appropriately”. Lorelei Stahl played Sophie and has been involved in the Pinkerton Players her whole high school career. She said her and Sophie “shared a lot in common” and she has “the same passion for advocacy as Sophie did”; Lorelei is a mental health advocate that works with Pizzastock for the Jason R Flood memorial. Both Lorelei and Ms.Myktyn said that as they learned more about the show and especially Sophie, they felt like they owed it to Sophie to tell her story.
The actors were given special insight while they were preparing for the show and learning lines. All of them were able to work with the German exchange students. They discussed the importance and relevance of WW2 with the exchange students while also having fun. The exchange students also helped the actors pronounce German words correctly. Stahl described this saying,” We learned a lot but also just had fun and got to know each other.” Many Pinkerton students and German exchange students have stayed in contact since meeting.
During the school day on October 27, some students were able to see a shortened version of the play. At the end of the performance people in the audience were able to ask the actors and production team questions about the show and their experience. Students asked a variety of questions about set design, costuming, and perfecting a german accent. One question that stuck out was a question about the actual papers being used in the play, Mrs.Littlefield was able to give alot of input about the show and examples of Genocide in the show as the Genocide studies teacher. That same night was the first full performance for an audience.
The whole weekend the stockbridge lobby buzzed as people poured in to watch the show. Many people conversed about their experience with the holocaust and the effect it had on their lives. The show had a lot of subtle details that tied it all together. One part that was exceptionally well done was the set design and how it was shaped around a Star of David with platforms designed to imitate the pamphlets used by the White Rose Society. The cherry on top was the ending of the show where pamphlets flew down from the ceiling.
The show overall was an emotional representation of Jewish oppression and German resistance. Mabel Backman a student said,”Many people only talk about the mass genocide of jewish people during WW2 and not all the different things German people were doing to fight against oppression.” She appreciated the show and what it represented for jewish people. Theatre provides a way for many powerful and important stories to be portrayed; The cast of Antigone in Munich did just that.
