BEREA, KY – When you’re a college student in 2025, balancing classes, work, and a social life is challenge enough. Now imagine adding a 2,400-year-old Greek tragedy to your to-do list.
That’s exactly what students at Berea College are doing this week as they bring Sophocles’ Antigone to the stage at the Jelkyl Drama Center. The production runs November 14–16, with performances at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Sunday.
It’s a busy weekend for theatre in Berea. While Berea College students tackle Greek tragedy, the Spotlight Playhouse presents two productions the same weekend: Something Rotten Jr. (a Renaissance comedy) at 6:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:00 p.m. Sunday, and Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The variety of offerings showcases Berea’s thriving performing arts scene, with something for every taste and age group.
Antigone tells the story of a young woman who defies a king’s order to honor her brother with a proper burial. It’s a timeless tale about courage, conscience, and what happens when personal values clash with authority.
For today’s students, the themes hit close to home. “Filled with intense conflict and powerful emotions, this classic story changes fate, questions authority, and reveals what it means to follow your convictions no matter the cost,” according to Visit Berea’s event listing.
The production is directed by three Berea College theatre students—Lexie Barnes, Ember Jones, and Jonah Morgan—and features a cast that includes first-year theatre major Lorelai Wetterlin playing Eurydice and chorus, fourth-year sociology major Lex Howard as Messenger, second-year theatre major Kai Owens in the chorus, and Rose Engle in the chorus.
The translation by Nicholas Rudall brings Sophocles’ ancient Greek into modern, accessible language, making the story feel immediate and relevant.
Performances take place at McGaw Theatre in the Jelkyl Drama Center on the Berea College campus. Tickets are free and can be reserved online through Eventbrite.
For tickets and more information, visit berea.edu/thr/reserve-tickets.
Whether you’re a theatre lover, a student of history, or just curious about how a 2,400-year-old play speaks to today’s generation, Antigone offers a powerful evening of storytelling—a reminder that the questions we wrestle with today aren’t so different from those asked 2,400 years ago.