It may be Greek to director Ed Jacob and the energetic Tidewater Community College student cast of this more than 2,000-year-old tragedy.

But for the audience of Sophocles' 442 B.C. drama "Antigone," the production that premiers today will seem ripped from today's headlines.

"This play is absolutely timeless," Jacob said. "When they're doing plays in the future on some space station, 'Antigone' will be one."

The drama will be staged for five days at the Cedar Road campus and then move to TCC's Jeanne and George Roper Performing Arts Center the following week for a three-day run in downtown Norfolk.

The play is part of Sophocles' "Theban Trilogy," which includes "Oedipus Rex." Chronologically, it's the last of the three, but the first written by the Greek drama master.

The story opens in Thebes with Oedipus in exile and the country in the throes of civil war between his sons Eteocles and Polyneices, who were to share the throne. Polyneices, claiming his right to govern, attacks the state with an army of foreign troops. Eventually, the two siblings meet on the battlefield and kill each other.

Eteocles, since he is Thebes' ruler at the time, is given a full state funeral with honors by his uncle, and Oedipus' brother, Creon. Polyneices, however, is denied that right, considered a traitor by Creon. But the sister, Antigone, is determined to give her branded brother a funeral, a rite demanded by the gods.

Creon blocks her attempts and has her entombed alive. The blind seer Tiresias warns Creon that he's rebuking the gods and doing the wrong thing. He predicts that Creon's actions will cause more death and unrest, telling the king he will pay "corpse for corpse, and flesh for flesh."

Eventually, Creon sees the error of his steadfastness. But it's too late, as the Fates have already sent the situation hurtling to its inevitable, and tragic, conclusions with murders and suicides aplenty.

"It's full of human decisions, of right vs. wrong," Jacob said. "... It's Antigone going against the established government; something going on today with the Iraq war. And the characters could be Gov. Spitzer, or the Clintons, or Nixon, or Bush.

"She (Antigone) feels she has a moral obligation to her wronged brother, herself and the gods. And women in those days weren't expected, or allowed, strong opinions."

Besides the Greek classic, which will be on display during the TCC production, French playwright Jean Anouilh (1910-1987) also wrote a now classic version during the German occupation of France in World War II. Although the conquering Nazis didn't realize it, Anouilh's version was a cloaked and skillful rebuke of the Hitler regime, which allowed the play to be staged.

"It's about a power struggle between the government and those against it," said Jacob, who once portrayed Creon in Anouilh's version. "When you're doing Greek tragedy, you're playing in the big game; all one's flaws show up, and they can be costly."

Jacob said the play is so timely, and timeless, scenic designer Matt Gorris will use a minimalist setting but with "very clasical roots. We will focus on the 'eloquent argument,' so, what difference does time and setting make?"

The stage will simply be set in the entrance to the palace, "which will stand as a metaphor for 'where do you go?'," Jacob explained. "And it will be analogous to what's going on now."

For those who think just because it's an ancient drama complete with opining Greek Chorus that the production will be pedantic and ponderous, Jacob advises the audience to hold on to their seats!

"People should not be afraid of it. This thing moves. It will be a roller coaster of emotions and reason. There will be no intermission. There won't be time."

In fact, at the Chesapeake campus' intimate Studio Theater the audience will be right there within the action. The same will behold theater-goers at the Roper.

"We will have the audience situated on stage, right there in the middle of everything," he said. "We want to develop a sense of involvement with the audience. They will, in fact, be THE people (of Thebes) who will watch this drama unfold."

A drama that's as old as ancient Greece and as modern as today.

"It's about what's going on in this world," Jacob said. "It's always going on."

Eric Feber, 222-5203,

eric.feber@pilotonline.com