Breakaway Antigone: Of Freedom, Forgiveness, and Acceptance

When in Manila, we might find ourselves suffocated from all of the business that we have to tend to — from work to personal problems to financial ones — that we end up craving for ‘freedom’. We might try to escape, but in the end, we only fall back on our feet and find ourselves back in the same situation again without knowing what could really set us free. Tanghalang Ateneo’s “Breakaway Antigone” is a story about finding the key to freedom through acceptance, forgiveness, and being at peace with oneself.

Antigone: Daughter and Sister of Oedepus Rex

Most of us are familiar with Sophocles’ Oedepus Rex, the man who slaughtered his father and married his mother, but have you ever wondered what happened to his family after everything that happened? “Breakaway Antigone” focuses on the life of Oedepus’ children and siblings — Eteokles, Polynikes, Antigone, and Ismene — through a captivating musical production by Tanghalang Ateneo and Ateneo Fine Arts. With music and lyrics wonderfully crafted by award winning Floy Quintos, Ceejay Javier, and William Elvin Manzano, “Breakaway Antigone” is definitely a great watch.

The seer

The story revolves around Antigone’s struggle to be free and ordinary from the life that she’s been living: Thebes’ princess, daughter and sister of the cursed King Oedepus. After their parents’ and brothers’ passing, Antigone and Ismene were faced with the question on where to go next and what to do with their lives. Since their brothers, Eteokles and Polynikes, had slain each other, the kingdom is taken over by Creon, Jocasta’s brother.

With her being an orphan and her brother weak, Antigone has to overcome yet another heartache when Creon disallowed a proper burial for Polynikes, her brother whom she loved so dearly. This triggered her to set on a journey that will let her find her peace and her ever-so-desired freedom.

Thebes at war

Even though the story is set more than a hundred years ago, “Breakaway Antigone” was still able to address our struggles in today’s day and age and did not fail to be relevant to everyone. Our family values, our great respect for tradition, and our importance to our beliefs were all captured in each act of the production.

Antigone giving her brother a rightful burial and respect

The play runs for a good two hours, with fifteen songs serenading you throughout the show. The production is directed by Mr. Ricardo Abad with choreography from Mr. Philip Pamintuan.

King Creon and Antigone’s confrontation

No matter how suffocating life can be, you can still find your freedom if you choose to do so. It is just a matter of how you see things that will help you find peace even in the midst of the stressful life when in Manila.