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Applications are now available for Raleigh Little Theatre’s technical training program for teens age 14-18. Teens Backstage (TBS) is a unique training program in all aspects of technical theatre. The 2019 production is Sophocles’ Antigone, adapted by Don Taylor.

This technical training program is a unique opportunity for teens to develop skills in lighting, sound, set construction, scenic painting and costuming. TBS participants will also serve on the run crew for the performance based on their skills and interests.

Application Process

Please download and complete the following forms:

• TBS Application Form
• TBS Conflict Calendar

Bring your completed forms with you to Interview Day, held on Saturday, March 9, 1:00-3:00pm at Raleigh Little Theatre. Registration is from 12:30pm in the lobby of the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre. Please use this SignupGenius page to sign up for the Interview Day. The interview day will consist of a tour of the theatre facility and all shop spaces, as well as a brief individual interview with TBS program staff. Participants may finish early, but please prepare to stay the whole time.

If you cannot attend on this date, please contact Director of Education, Meredyth Pederson Cooper at meredyth@nullraleighlittletheatre.org to schedule an alternate time.

Important Dates

TBS Interview Day:

• Saturday, March 9, 1:00-3:00pm. Registration from 12:30pm in the Gaddy-Goodwin lobby. Please sign up using our SignupGenius page.

Parent and Student Information Meeting:

• Tuesday May 21, 7:00pm in Gaddy Goodwin Teaching Theatre

Conservatory Dates:

• Saturday, June 15, 10am-4pm Teens on Stage and Teens Backstage Kick Off Day
• Wednesday-Saturday, June 19-July 13 (no July 4), 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Monday-Friday, July 15-18, 9:00-5:00pm (technical rehearsals)

Performance Dates:

• Preview performance: July 18, 7:30pm (actors and crew are at theatre 9:00am until after preview)
• Opening night: July 19, 7:30pm (actors and crew are at theatre 1pm until after opening)
• Performance Dates: July 19-28 (see conflict calendar)

About the show

Desperate to gain control over the city of Thebes ravaged by civil war, the new king Creon refuses to bury the body of Antigone’s rebellious brother who has recently been killed. Outraged, she defies his edict. Creon condemns Antigone to be buried alive. Antigone is engaged to Haemon, Creon’s son, who tries to get his father to reconsider her punishment. The citizens of Thebes wrestle with Creon’s decision, but don’t dare object. Guards take Antigone away to her death. The blind prophet Teiresias arrives and warns Creon that this tyranny will anger the gods: the rotting corpse is polluting the city, and Creon should bury the body. Teiresias tells Creon that as punishment for Antigone’s death, the gods will soon take his son’s life. Creon hesitates, but does eventually relent and rush off to free Antigone from the tomb. But his hesitation sealed his fate and a messenger arrives with news that Creon’s son, Haemon has killed himself. Creon is left a broken man.

Sophocles’ great tragic play dramatises the clash between the family and the state and, with high poetry and deep tragedy, presents an irreconcilable but equally-balanced conflict. Sophoclean heroine Antigone has become a cultural archetype, the symbol of personal integrity and an icon of political freedom, whilst her co-protagonist Creon can be interpreted as either a civic saviour or a ruthless tyrant. This play speaks loudly to the ongoing conflict between the freedom of the individual and the power of the state.

This edition of Don Taylor’s adaptation, performed by the National Theatre in London, presents one of the most accessible and relevant versions of this ancient play.

About the Teens Backstage Team:

Teens Backstage Technical Director and Scenic Designer: Kylee Silvas
Director: Meredyth Pederson Cooper
RLT Production Manager: Dennis Berfield
Costume Designer: Elspeth McClanahan

About Teens Backstage Registration

Admission to Teens On Stage is by application and interview only. The total cost for the Teens Backstage Program is $475.00. Once you have been accepted into the program, we will provide you information on how to register online. Participants will register with non-refundable 20% deposit by April 30. The balance is due by June 1.

Scholarships are available to those who qualify. Contact Kathleen Rudolph at (919) 821-4579 ext 225.