The Epic Players of Chicago Theatre Group

04/26/2026

ANTIGONE: A MODERN ADAPTATION AFTER SOPHOCLES
Adapted, Directed & Produced: Farrokh Asadi
Co-Director: Hossein Khandan
Music Director, Composer and Tar performer: Ali Arshi
Dear Family, Friends, and Supporters,
Some of us purchase tickets not simply to attend a performance, but to support an independent, nonprofit ensemble of talented and dedicated artists—artists who have invested their time, determination, and passion to bring a work of high quality to the stage. Some of us, even though we do not live in the Chicago area and are unable to attend in person, still choose to support this production through donations of any amount. No matter how we choose to engage with this production, your support sends a powerful message: that even in difficult times, there are those who value meaningful art—art that is timeless, placeless, and unafraid to reveal truth.
With gratitude, The Production Team

In Sophocles’ Antigone, the heroine is a tragic figure shaped by fate and divine law. After the fall of Oedipus, her brothers kill each other in a conflict rooted in a family curse. Creon becomes ruler and forbids the burial of Polynices. Antigone defies this decree out of loyalty to the gods and to her brother, accepting death as the price of moral duty. Creon’s refusal to honor divine law ultimately leads to his tragic downfall. In this adaptation after Sophocles, fate is replaced by choice. Antigone is a contemporary woman, an artist, citizen, and protester, whose resistance is conscious and deliberate. The deaths of her brothers are not destiny, but the result of a war engineered by Creon to secure absolute power. Their deaths are not tragic inevitabilities but acts of state violence. Creon does not fall tragically. He represents a totalitarian system that survives beyond any single ruler. Tiresias is no longer sacred but socio-political, reflecting awareness without the courage to act. Ismene becomes a filmmaker who chooses conformity to power in the name of “security” and survival. Our production asks not only what is happening, but why it continues to happen.
Athenaeum Center – Studio A
2936 N Southport Ave (Free Parking)
Chicago, IL 60657
(312) 820-6250
Please buy your ticket here:
https://athenaeumcenter.org/events/2026/antigone-a-modern-adaptation-after-sophocles/
For access to presale, enter Promo Code: EB22
Early Bird Tickets: $10
(available starting April 22)
Regular Tickets: $15
(available starting April 29)
Students & Seniors: $7
Friday, June 5 – Opening Day
• Reception: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
• Matinee Performance: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
• Evening Performance: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Saturday, June 6
• Matinee Performance: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
• Evening Performance: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Sunday, June 7
• Matinee Performance: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM

04/25/2026

ANTIGONE: A MODERN ADAPTATION AFTER SOPHOCLES
Adapted, Directed & Produced: Farrokh Asadi
Co-Director: Hossein Khandan
Music Director: Ali Arshi
In Sophocles’ Antigone, the heroine is a tragic figure shaped by fate and divine law. After the fall of Oedipus, her brothers kill each other in a conflict rooted in a family curse. Creon becomes ruler and forbids the burial of Polynices. Antigone defies this decree out of loyalty to the gods and to her brother, accepting death as the price of moral duty. Creon’s refusal to honor divine law ultimately leads to his tragic downfall. In this adaptation after Sophocles, fate is replaced by choice. Antigone is a contemporary woman, an artist, citizen, and protester, whose resistance is conscious and deliberate. The deaths of her brothers are not destiny, but the result of a war engineered by Creon to secure absolute power. Their deaths are not tragic inevitabilities but acts of state violence. Creon does not fall tragically. He represents a totalitarian system that survives beyond any single ruler. Tiresias is no longer sacred but socio-political, reflecting awareness without the courage to act. Ismene becomes a filmmaker who chooses conformity to power in the name of “security” and survival. Our production asks not only what is happening, but why it continues to happen.
Performance Schedule
Friday, June 5 – Opening Day
• Reception: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
• Matinee Performance: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
• Evening Performance: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Saturday, June 6
• Matinee Performance: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
• Evening Performance: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Sunday, June 7
• Matinee Performance: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Athenaeum Center – Studio A
2936 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(312) 820-6250
Antigone: A Modern Adaptation After Sophocles - Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
Early Bird Tickets: $10
(available starting April 22)
Regular Tickets: $15
(available starting April 29)
Students & Seniors: $7

04/25/2026

TICKETS ON SALE!
Athenaeum Center – Studio A
2936 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(312) 820-6250
Antigone: A Modern Adaptation After Sophocles - Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture
EB22 is the promo code for purchasing tickets in advance.
Early Bird Tickets: $10
(available starting April 22)
Regular Tickets: $15
(available starting April 29)
Students & Seniors: $7
Support the Epic Players of Chicago, a nonprofit theater group, with a voluntary donation made in lieu of purchasing a ticket.
Performance Schedule
Friday, June 5 – Opening Day
• Reception: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
• Matinee Performance: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
• Evening Performance: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Saturday, June 6
• Matinee Performance: 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM
• Evening Performance: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Sunday, June 7
• Matinee Performance: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM

04/19/2026

04/13/2026

Dear family, friends, and supporters of the arts,

I’m happy to share that play of Antigone: A Modern Adaptation after Sophocles has been published and is now available on Amazon. This play is a modern adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone, employing the form of Epic Theatre and engaging urgent questions of power, surveillance, law, justice, and resistance in our present time. This book would not exist without the generous support of my dear friend Hossein Khandan, an award winning Iranian American writer and filmmaker, and the founder of the International Woman, Life, Freedom Film Festival.

I hope this adaptation proves meaningful and useful to theatre practitioners, dramaturgs, academics, students, and readers who value rigorous, thoughtfully reimagined texts in a contemporary context. If this speaks to your interests, I would truly appreciate your support, through sharing, and recommending. I’d be grateful to hear your thoughts and responses. Thank you for helping this play travel. Farrokh

03/18/2026

Dear friends,
Greetings. Hopefully, this email finds you well. Thank you in advance for sharing our casting call on your website.

All the best,
Farrokh & Hossein

CASTING CALL (NON-UNION)
ANTIGONE: A Modern Adaptation After Sophocles
Adapted by: Farrokh Asadi
Directed by: Farrokh Asadi and Hossein Khandan
Produced by: The Epic Players of Chicago
Venue: Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture, Studio A, 2936 N Southport Ave,
Chicago, IL
Performance Dates: June 5–7, 2026
SEEKING FIVE ACTORS
ANTIGONE
Intelligent, active, and resistant woman who challenges tyranny.
ISMENE
Cautious and self-preserving, choosing safety over confrontation.
CREON
Authoritarian ruler defending power and order.
TIRESIAS
Wise but passive intellectual who sees truth yet hesitates to act.
STORYTELLER
Guides the audience and breaks theatrical illusion in epic theatre style.
REHEARSALS
Begin Early April to the End of May 2026
Possible stipend: $700 per actor (paid upon completion)
Actors of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Strong interest, creativity,
discipline, and time commitment are highly valued.
APPLY NOW
Farrokh Asadi: [email protected] & Hossein Khandan:[email protected]
Short in-person interview required, and please let us know which character you are
interested in presenting

03/14/2026

Dear friends, family members, and supporters of the arts,
Epic Players of Chicago is pleased to present Antigone, a modern adaptation after Sophocles exploring themes of power, resistance, and moral responsibility in a world shaped by war, corruption, violence, and authoritarian rule.
Location:
Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture – Studio A
2936 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL (Free parking available)
Performance Schedule
Friday, June 5 – Opening Day
Reception: 12:00–1:30 PM
Matinee: 2:00–4:30 PM
Evening Performance: 7:00–9:30 PM
Saturday, June 6
Matinee: 2:00–4:30 PM
Evening Performance: 7:00–9:30 PM
Sunday, June 7
Matinee: 3:00–5:30 PM
Tickets:
General Admission – $15
Seniors & Students – $7
Tickets may be purchased at the box office by cash, check, or credit card. You may also support the production through a voluntary donation in lieu of purchasing a ticket. Donations help make productions like this possible and may be made by cash, check, or credit card. Epic Players of Chicago is a nonprofit organization, and donations is tax-deductible. More information about ticket reservations and donations will be shared soon. Thank you for supporting live theatre and the work of our artists.

11/15/2025

Dear Chicagoans,
Please join us!
If you live in the Chicago area and are interested in acting, we would love to meet you, no prior acting experience is required. What matters most is your interest, commitment, and willingness to work hard. We are also welcoming collaborators in other artistic areas, such as: Stage management; Set design / technical support; and Musicians (electronic keyboard, vocal work, or both).
This is an independent, culturally significant production, and we are building a creative team that values curiosity, passion, and artistic bravery. Official audition dates:
Monday & Tuesday of this week (details shown on the poster below)
If those dates don’t work for you, no worries, you can also contact us to schedule a more convenient day and time. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].
Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to be part of a powerful and meaningful artistic project, we look forward to hearing from you! Farrokh Asad and Hossein Khandan