What qualities do you think make for an effective leader?

Who do you think is the protagonist of the play? Why?

Which holds most power for you: your principles, love for family, or loyalty to country/community?

How do we honor those we've lost without losing ourselves?

When you come to CPH’s production of Antigone, you’ll hear a bunch of names floating around and you might not be sure who they all are, so we’ve created a family tree to introduce you to the people and the backstory of the original dysfunctional family in the royal house of Thebes.

Antigone speaks to our world today, but comes from an ancient past. One great way to learn more about the civilizations and cultures from 440 BCE, when the play was first produced, is to visit the Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman art collections at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Spanning a period of roughly 3,800 years, the collections are held in high esteem nationally and internationally. The Greek and Roman areas feature small and large scale bronze statues, several outstanding painted vases, and smaller objects crafted of precious materials. Of special interest to Antigone audiences are several masks that would have been used in the staging of Sophocles’ Greek tragedies and Roman comedies, along with several vases and friezes that depict actors at work, under the watchful eye of the Greek god, Dionysus. There are also beautifully handcrafted metal household objects, not unlike items that would have been used by the royal family in Creon’s household.

For more information on how to visit the Museum, check out clevelandart.org.

As always, we’d love you to talk back to us about the themes and events of the play. You can do so by sending your answers and images to insideCPH@clevelandplayhouse.com or by sharing on your own social media platforms and tagging with #AntigoneCPH.

Antigone explores the various challenges that leaders face as they make decisions, and today’s leaders have to skillfully navigate some very tricky waters. So we’re interested in hearing about the GREAT LEADERS in your life who have triumphed and thrived in their positions. Who is someone - a boss, coach, teacher, mentor, clergy person, elder - that has led you well? What qualities made her a great leader? How did he impact you for the better? Share a few words about this person - along with a picture - as we lift up the influential leaders in our lives. Here's a great example:

From Melissa Crum, CPH OST Coordinator: “Time is an interesting gift. We don’t always recognize the immense impact someone is having on our lives until much later. I spend a lot of time feeling gratitude for my high school drama teacher, Pamela Christian. High school was a difficult time in my life, and drama club was my sanctuary. Mrs. Christian (retired now) treated every student as someone with great value, and she helped us believe it to be true. She was a listening ear, a firm truth teller, and a helping hand. Her love and support were always genuine. She was a leader who had difficult conversations with us, pushed us to grow, and never gave up on seeing our potential, all while maintaining a wonderful sense of humor and a seemingly endless supply of grace. When I think about the creative life I am living and all of the hard-won accomplishments along the way, I can draw a direct line back to my time with Mrs. C. In that way, we are always connected. To me, that is one of the marks of a great leader: you carry bits and pieces of them with you. This connection creates a wave of impact that ripples outward and is never lost, but ever present in the lives of those who were changed by having known them.”

If you live in the greater Cleveland area and are looking to develop and enhance your skills as a leader, here’s a great organization that offers you plenty of resources.

Cleveland Leadership Center helps new and aspiring leaders grow personally and professionally, equipping and inspiring them to become vibrant change agents in their local communities. No matter your season of life or stage in your career, CLC has a program for you. Examples include:

• LOOK UP TO CLEVELAND: High schoolers investigate local issues, meet with business and government leaders, and tour important landmarks.
• ONBOARD CLEVELAND: Helps early career professionals maximize their strengths in the workplace while getting connected to civic opportunities that align with their interests
• CIVIC LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (All ages): Explores the past, present, and future of NE Ohio as a means of addressing current issues through public-private collaborations and the sharing of community assets
• LEGACY LEADERS: Connects experienced leaders, in or approaching retirement, to relevant civic initiatives geared to grow and improve Cleveland

This is only a small sampling of the programs offered by CLC, so check out cleveleads.org for more details.