PROVIDENCE, RI (March 2, 2022) – Wilbury Theatre Group presents the world premiere of AntigonX, a queer, Latinx interpretation of Sophocles’ classical Greek tragedy, written and co-directed by Shey Rivera Ríos.
Shey Rivera Ríos
Set in Puerto Rico, AntigonX blends ritual and myth in a poetic meditation on seeking out hope during dark times. The production happens indoors in a limited run at the Wilbury Theatre Group’s newly-constructed theater space at WaterFire Arts Center March 31 – April 10, before traveling to the world renowned Magdalena Festival produced by Double Edge Theater in Ashfield, MA for performances through April 24.
Tickets to Wilbury Theater Group performances are pay-what-you-can and are available at thewilburygroup.org/antigonx.
This spiritualistic reinvisioning of AntigonX focuses on the relationship between Antígona and their sister Ismene. Coming from a long lineage of trauma and violence, they are recently faced with the murder of their brothers and grief leads them on different paths – Antígona wants to bury their brother, most certainly leading to their death, while Ismene aims to enact change from within the community..
In this version of the classic story, Antígona is a non-binary person and Teresias, a guide throughout the show, is a trans, non-binary spiritual guide.
“Gender diversity and representation were very important to this story,” Shey Rivera Ríos explains, “this story is so often told from the perspective of politics,” Rivera Ríos continues. “This time, I wanted to focus on the grief that exists between these two siblings – grief that has been brewing for generations.
It’s so easy to recreate the cycles and traditions that seem to hold the world together, but that never leads to change. Antígona and Ismene are cycle-breakers and we are joining them on this important journey.”
“Shey’s work as a resident artist at the Wilbury Group these last three years has been astounding – from playmaking to directing to performing, their courageous approach to developing their work is an inspiration,” said Josh Short, Artistic Director of Wilbury Theatre Group.
“AntigonX is a beautiful examination of theater as ritual and how personal it is to all of us. At Wilbury, we strive to engage our audiences by breaking down and rebuilding stories from new perspectives, and AntigonX does that so brilliantly.”
Performances of AntigonX will be held indoors at Wilbury Theatre Group’s Performance Space at WaterFire Arts Center. Pursuant to the Wilbury Group’s Health and Safety Precautions, all attendees must either show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 (at least 14 days have passed since the final dose), or proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in the prior 72 hours, or proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken in the prior 6 hours. Regardless of vaccination status, all attendees must also wear masks over their nose and mouth at all times while inside the venue.
About Shey Rivera Ríos
Shey Rivera Ríos (pronouns: they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist, cultural strategist and arts administrator. Their artistic creations explore a variety of themes: from home to capitalism, queerness, magic, and our relationship with technology. Rivera has 10+ years of experience in the arts sector. Their trajectory includes 8 years of leadership at AS220, a non profit arts organization and artistic incubator in Providence, RI, and being part of the team of the Community Innovation Lab (MIT CoLab) of the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Rivera majored in Psychology and Sociology at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR-Rio Piedras), and has postgraduate studies in Culture and Contemporary Media from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Rivera has been living in Providence, RI, for the past 12 years and loves their creative community. They support the work, creative paths, and projects of many other local artists and engage in collaborations that spark the imagination and push the horizons on how art can help us envision better futures. Rivera is currently an Artist-in-Residence at The Wilbury Theatre Group. Artistic projects include the LUNA LOBA performance series, the FANTASY ISLAND transmedia project, and -most recently- the MORALDOCS abolitionist film co-created with artist Vatic Kuumba. Rivera’s work has been featured in publications such as Hyperallergic and Art Scope New England.