Would you mind giving us an insight into what your show/event/performance is?
Our show is Antigone 1989: A Town Hall Musical, which is coming to the Gilded Balloon Patter House this August from August 5-29, with no performances on the 17th or 24th. It is a modern retelling of the classic story, but told uniquely through the lens of 1989 and a new world of Thebes, California. Instead of a traditional theater setup, the audience is summoned directly into an intimate, and interactive town hall meeting that brings you directly into a Thebes crisis. The cast is made up of current musical theatre BFA college students, and I am lucky to be apart of that group because everyone is truly so talented, and the energy this group brings to the stage is immensive. The show uses a vibrant, era-informed score to break the fourth wall and pull the audience right into the world with us actors. It contemporizes the classic tragedy in a way that feels incredibly present, human, and connected to the freedoms and communites argued about today.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
The creative team behind this show is truly incredible. When I first found out that I got to be a part of this project and originate the role of Henry, I was completely ecstatic to work alongside such amazing minds. Getting to learn from and listen to Ken Cerniglia is an absolute dream. His Broadway experience is immense, and it is honestly wild to think that I am collaborating with the person who helped shape and create shows I’ve always loved and or seen like Tarzan, Newsies, Aladdin, and Hadestown. His gift for clear, intentional storybuilding makes it completely obvious why his work has been so massively successful. Then we have Chris Rayis, who is a genuine musical genius. Chris is a professor at Elon Music Theatre’s program at Elon University, where I am getting my BFA in music theatre (Class of 2029). I haven’t really gotten to work with him yet as a first-year, so I was so excited to dive into this professional process with him. Every single rehearsal with him is a thrilling wild card, and every time we learn a new piece of music, my jaw is completely on the floor. Getting to work with him to sing material written specifically for my own voice makes me feel like the luckiest guy in the world, because originating a role in a brand-new musical is the ultimate dream.
Our director, Elizabeth McKoy, who is also spearheading the production, is so incredibly whimsical and truly radiates creative energy. Her vision for the story is completely clear and her deep experience is evident in everything she does, yet she maintains this wonderful balance of playful, joyful, professional wisdom. During one of our very first workshop rehearsals, she literally got down on the floor and started rolling around to show us staging, which tells you everything you need to know about her dedication, passion, and playfulness. The entire cast constantly feels inspired by her. During rehearsals so far, she has really taken an amazing approach as a director. Of course she stages and gives direction, but she also makes the space feel really safe. We do daily check-ins and check-outs with how we are feeling, and we even get to have 80s style dance parties to get ourselves moving. We are also joined by Tanaka, our assistant director and costume designer, who has a beautifully sharp visual intellect. Even while coordinating with us from London and Zimbabwe, her specific aesthetic vision for the wardrobe and the world of the show is incredibly clear, and she is just so smart. Finally, Lillian Chen is our stage manager and production assistant, and she is the person who helps keep all of us glued together and on task. She is an exceptionally kind peer, and I feel so lucky to work with her. It really is a dream team to learn from, and I feel incredibly grateful to be going to be debuting in Edinburgh with a company that values both the work and each other with so much care.
How does it feel coming to (back to) the Fringe?
I am so incredibly excited to be coming to the Fringe that I am practically jumping for joy. To have the opportunity to be dropped into this massive creative environment surrounded by thousands of people who love theatre just as much as I do feels like a rare gift. I am mostly looking forward to being completely consumed by theatre for a solid month, seeing all kinds of different work, and testing my own boundaries as a performer alongside this incredible cast. The entire experience of prepping for the journey feels completely surreal and makes me so giddy, especially because it is actually my first time ever visiting the UK and Europe. Beyond the festival itself, I just cannot wait to see the beauty of Scotland, explore Edinburgh, and take it all in.
With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?
I think what sets us apart is our cast, our deep devotion to the material, our sound, and the sheer immediacy of the story. It is a production with amazing music that will evoke incredibly raw, visceral emotions about what it means to have choices in the world, to hold on to your personal freedoms, and how devastating it feels to watch those rights be stripped away by authority. The music is heavily informed by the urgency and textures of 1989, and because the space is intimate and the staging is sometimes interactive, the audience becomes a participant in the town hall. We want the audience to feel the weight of the world and this crisis with us within the story.
On that, is there anything in the production or production team’s backgrounds which influences the way the show is performed or told?
Ken, our writer, grew up in Southern California and experienced the late 1980s firsthand as a teenager, which profoundly shapes this piece as he is able to draw directly from lived history, as well as fiction and drama, of course, to build this world of Thebes. I also think that because he has so much experience as a dramaturg, everything in our story and our world-building feels highly specific and detailed. That same 80’s authenticity carries right into the score, as Chris’s music fully encapsulates the time period and feels completely in tune with it. You can really hear it in the instrumentation and the melodies when you listen to everything in the room with him. Having both of them drawing from that exact same landscape makes the whole environment feel alive.
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
I think our main goal is to make the audience members think differently about the weight of silence. I hope this show sparks a conversation about those specific moments in life where it feels easier to look the other way or stay quiet rather than getting involved, and what that inactivity actually costs within communities. I mean, one could say that the show is a “historical piece,” but it’s really more of a fundamental reflection of the world’s current political climate, and I hope that parallel lands in a way that feels organic for viewers. I want people to walk away with a deeper, human understanding of the immense amount of courage it takes and took for activists to continuously speak up when they were actively being ignored, but I also want them to leave feeling energized and connected with hope, rather than weighed down.
Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?
I would say that our ideal audience is open-minded, curious people who love great storytelling and want to be in a room with a live performance that feels vibrant and urgent. It’s a show for people interested in change-making stories and who are curious to examine our past to figure out how we can do better. As for who isn’t in the audience, the only people who are non-ideal audience members would be people who don’t like musicals and who don’t want to learn or lean in and see something new through art. If you’re completely shut off to the idea of a story being told through music, or if you’re just looking for comfortable entertainment that does not ask you to listen or reflect on anything, then this probably is not the show for you.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
My main plan for staying grounded at the Fringe is to really not relax much? We will see how that turns out, but I would feel regretful about being in such a special place, surrounded by so many talented people, and not spending as much time as I could to see their work and feed my creative spirit. Of course, I will need to sleep and get some rest time in, but all the time that I can, I want to be up and at it, getting at everything the festival has to offer. I am super eager to see other new musicals as well as works that differ completely in format. I hope to see some funny stuff too! From my light research, I have a few shows that I for sure want to see, like Hole!, LAUNA, and GIRLZ (at Gilded Balloon as well), as they look incredible. I think Everything at the festival looks so great. I also think that from what I’ve heard and understand, some of the magic of the festival is walking around and being pulled into shows every which way. Beyond the shows, I just want to walk around Edinburgh, take in the atmosphere, and watch the city transform. Right now, I plan to see as much art as I can manage, but maybe that will change. I’m ready to take it all in and ready for our 1989 adventure.
Antigone 1989: A Town Hall Musical runs at Venue 24, Other Yin at Gilded Balloon Patter House
Runs: 5th -29th August at 15:05pm
Photo credit – Art by Soto
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