Episode Overview

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Episode: 'Antigone' with a Twist at The Public
Date: March 9, 2026
Guests:

• Anna Ziegler (Playwright)
• Tony Shalhoub (Actor, plays Creon)
• Celia Keenan-Bolger (Actor, plays the Chorus)

This episode centers on "Antigone, This Play I Read in High School," a contemporary reimagining of Sophocles’ classic, now staged at The Public Theater in NYC. Host Alison Stewart is joined by playwright Anna Ziegler and lead cast members Tony Shalhoub and Celia Keenan-Bolger to explore the play’s themes, its unexpected humor, present-day relevancy, and the evolving process of theater-making in front of a live audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Revisit Antigone?

• Relevance of the Classic:

  • Anna Ziegler explains her fascination with Greek tragedy and the timeless conflicts within Antigone. She was interested in bringing its dilemmas—individual vs. state, personal freedom vs. authority—to a modern audience.
    • “I was particularly interested in Antigone because it felt like a play that could be translated into ... something that would be relevant to our times.” (Anna Ziegler, 02:34)

• Updating the Story:

  • Ziegler sees the original’s focus on burial rites as analogous to modern debates about bodily autonomy, with the updated play including contemporary issues like reproductive rights.
    • "It seemed like there was a possibility for an update that could really speak to our society and our politics today.” (Anna Ziegler, 02:54)

Making the Greek Classic Relatable

• Approachability and Audience Proxy:

  • Celia Keenan-Bolger, as the Chorus, acts as a bridge for the audience—admitting to initial reluctance about the material, mirroring many theatergoers’ own feelings towards Greek tragedy.
    • “The classics sometimes feel like these faraway intellectual exercises that are not the reason I love to go to the theater... And then when I read it, I was like, holy moly. This is not what I expected.” (Celia Keenan-Bolger, 03:49)
  • The play is crafted for everyone, regardless of their familiarity with the original.
    • “I think it is for everyone.” (Anna Ziegler, 04:55)

• The Chorus Character:

  • Keenan-Bolger explores the original chorus role: reflecting societal questions, but updated to include more personal narrative, making her a relatable narrator and active participant.
    • “I hope what I am is a kind of proxy for the audience... There used to be a line in the play that was like, what could Sophocles or Euripides have to do with my life?” (Celia Keenan-Bolger, 08:07)

• Comedy in Tragedy:

  • Tony Shalhoub praises Ziegler’s innovative blend of comedy with classical material, using humor and contemporary language to make the tragedy approachable without minimizing its darkness.
    • “She has woven comedic elements through this play... there are a lot of laughs in this play.” (Tony Shalhoub, 09:35)

Character Insights

• Creon’s Position and Personality:

  • Shalhoub describes Creon as a reluctant king, straight-A type who governs by the book, unable to compromise—setting up the tragedy through inflexible oppositions.
    • “He kind of overshoots. He wants everything strictly by the book... Which then leads him to be very inflexible.” (Tony Shalhoub, 05:05)

• Antigone as a Modern Young Woman:

  • Ziegler presents Antigone as a late-teen struggling with loss, social expectations, and self-discovery—caught between rebellion and tradition.
    • "We meet her when she is on a bender in the bars of Thebes... she's pregnant.” (Anna Ziegler, 06:47)

• Creon’s Relationship with Power and Family:

  • Creon’s insecurity and reluctance, embodied even in his costume—a half-worn coat—speaks to his ambivalence about authority.
  • His awkward attempt to communicate with his son through a letter rather than directly is both a running joke and a tender detail.
    • “I feel like the coat on my shoulders is a kind of half commitment to the role... I'm not fully wearing it yet.” (Tony Shalhoub, 11:56)
    • “They kind of worship each other, but they don't connect well… he's writing it in a letter and not walking into his son's room… is an indication of how tentative they are.” (Tony Shalhoub, 14:01)

• Leadership, Power, and Law:

  • The script spotlights the dangerous rigidity of leadership, especially as Creon enforces strict laws—including on women’s bodies—in the name of order.
    • “He's enforcing all the laws, including laws that police women's bodies... shutting down of abortion clinics and outlawing abortion... that could be a problem for him that his niece might be...” (Anna Ziegler, 16:49)

Staging and Process

• Modern Language and Humor:

  • Ziegler’s impulse was to write with a mash-up of contemporary and ancient phrasing, resulting in moments like Antigone’s sister being dubbed “the hot one.”
    • “There were other elements of the play that were much more challenging and came later, but the kind of language of it and the tone of it were there from the start.” (Anna Ziegler, 10:38)

• Intimacy of the Theater:

  • The set is mostly bare, played in-the-round for a raw, almost Greek quality.
    • “It's been a while since I've worked in the three quarter round… there’s really not any real set... it also feels very Greek... we're really trying to recreate that dynamic.” (Tony Shalhoub, 23:14)
  • At times, lights are kept up on the audience, reinforcing the communal and democratic spirit of ancient Greek theater.
    • “It feels Greek to me in a way that... they would gather together to... communalize trauma... when the house lights are up and I can see everybody, that feels even more possible.” (Celia Keenan-Bolger, 21:29)

• The Play’s Evolution and Audience Collaboration

  • The production changed dramatically through previews, with entire monologues and perspectives rewritten in response to real-time audience feedback.
    • “You really can't discover everything about your play until you are in front of an audience.” (Anna Ziegler, 25:24)
    • “They're the final collaborators.” (Tony Shalhoub, 25:59)
    • “Her trajectory changed completely. And she went from speaking in the third person to speaking in the first person.” (Anna Ziegler, 24:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "This is not what I expected. And it just opened up... this whole new real admiration for what Sophocles was doing in 441."
  — Celia Keenan-Bolger on discovering the original Antigone (03:49)

• "It's amazing to have the house lights up and to let her see them. And, you know, I think that communion is really special."
  — Anna Ziegler on the connection between Keenan-Bolger and the audience (22:49)

• "He wants to write this letter to let his son know that even though he has now to take on this role of the king, he still will be there as a father... it's an indication of how kind of tentative they are about... connecting."
  — Tony Shalhoub on Creon and his son (14:01)

• “There is a reason we are reaching back for these tragedies… given the political landscape and the cultural moment that we find ourselves in.”
  — Celia Keenan-Bolger on why Greek tragedy is resonant today (08:07)

• “Without compromising the depth of it and the darkness of it, she has woven all of this... absurdist characters through it. So there is, strangely, a lot of laughs in this play.”
  — Tony Shalhoub on the comedic elements (09:35)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:29: Alison introduces the play, guests, and gives a quick premise.
• 02:26: Ziegler discusses why she chose to adapt Antigone.
• 03:49: Keenan-Bolger expresses her initial reluctance/connection to Antigone.
• 05:05: Shalhoub describes Creon’s backstory and personality.
• 06:47: Ziegler paints Antigone’s contemporary characterization.
• 08:07: Keenan-Bolger explains the role and function of the chorus.
• 09:35: Shalhoub and Ziegler talk about the surprising humor.
• 11:56: Insights into Creon’s costume as subtext for his character.
• 14:01: Creon’s relationship with his son; comedic and poignant elements.
• 16:49: Discussion of abortion, bodily autonomy, and Creon’s laws in the play.
• 19:53: Keenan-Bolger on the chorus’ interaction (or lack thereof) with other characters and audience.
• 21:29: The emotional and performative effect of visible audiences.
• 23:14: Shalhoub reflects on the bare, “Greek” set and its intimacy.
• 24:34: Ziegler and cast on how the script and play evolved during previews.
• 25:59: Audience as collaborators in the creative process.

Final Thoughts

"Antigone, This Play I Read in High School" artfully bridges antiquity and the present, finding urgency and humor in a story as old as democracy itself. The conversation reveals how the creative team uses modern language, staging, and audience engagement to make ancient drama feel electric and necessary for today’s theatergoers. Whether you’ve read Antigone or not, this play—and this podcast episode—offers a window into how timeless human struggles are restaged and reimagined for new generations.