Tianqiao Theater in Beijing will stage Sophocles' Antigone, one of the most intense ancient Greek tragedies, on March 6 and 7, according to the organizer, China Performing Arts Agency.
Antigone has been very popular in China. It was first performed by the Harbin Drama Theater in 1988 and was replayed by a Beijing theater in 2002. It was also performed by Chinese players in the fourth and 11th International Ancient Greek Play Festivals in Greece.
Chinese readers began to touch upon Greek tragedy only in the 1980s, but they did not have a chance to view the plays on the stage until Chinese players began to perform them in 1986.
The producer of Antigone is the National Theater of Greece, the oldest and largest theater in Greece. It has toured China twice before and is scheduled to perform in Japan afterwards.
(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2003)
