Antigone Reimagined

Court Theatre’s 2024 Production | Songs from the Poets

In 2024, Court Theatre premiered a visionary new production of Sophocles’ Antigone, directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent and sponsored by the Poetry Foundation. This groundbreaking reinterpretation recharged the ancient Greek tragedy with contemporary relevance and a dynamic choral form.

Actors Danielle Davis and Cage Sebastian Pierre served as chorus poets, transforming Sophocles’ classical odes into a vibrant fusion of spoken word, body percussion, and melodic ballads. Their performances became a living, rhythmic commentary on the unfolding drama, embodying the collective voice of resistance, grief, and truth.

This innovative choral approach not only honored the ritualistic roots of Greek theatre but also gave rise to a powerful original mixtape, which later served as the sonic foundation for a multimedia experience in 2025.

Songs from the Poets: An Immersive Audio-Visual Experience (2025)

Custom Audio Visualizer by Onix N. Vanga

On May 8, 2025, the Poetry Foundation hosted Antigone Reimagined: Songs from the Poets, an immersive listening event centered around the 2024 production’s original mixtape. At the heart of this experience was a custom audio visualizer created by digital artist Onix N. Vanga.

This real-time visual installation transformed the chorus poets’ voices and rhythms into mesmerizing visual patterns, enhancing the auditory experience through an expressive digital art form that revealed the hidden structures of sound.

Making Sound Visible: The Visual Language of Antigone Reimagined

Inspired by Chladni plate experiments—which use vibration to generate intricate sand patterns—the visualizer interpreted both the entire sound spectrum and the bass frequencies of the poets’ performances to drive particle-based visual formations.

Three types of particle movements reflected the emotional and narrative arc of the performance:

• Radial bursts mirrored Antigone’s defiant spirit against unjust power

• Mandala patterns symbolized Creon’s pursuit of rigid order and law

• Concentric formations echoed the rhythmic pulse of the chorus, grounding the story in communal presence

As moments of dramatic intensity surged, the visuals responded with heightened motion and complexity—inviting viewers to see and feel the poetic force behind each word and beat.

Technical Innovation

Programmed using JavaScript, p5.js, and the Web Audio API, the visualizer operates in real time, analyzing audio input and translating it into dynamic visual responses. Each particle on screen represents a discrete sonic element, creating a living chorus of light and motion that complements the spoken and musical performance.

This digital art piece does not merely illustrate sound—it renders sound visible, uncovering emotional and structural patterns that might otherwise remain hidden in a purely auditory experience. By weaving modern coding languages with ancient themes, the work invites audiences into a multisensory reimagining of Antigone for a contemporary world.