Cal Poly Humboldt Stages Antigone, Sparks Campus Conversation on Authority
Cal Poly Humboldt opened a production of Sophocles Antigone at Gist Hall Theatre on November 7, accompanied by KHSU coverage that examined the play and its production. The staging and radio feature highlight themes of civil disobedience, gender roles, and conscience versus authority, offering a cultural touchpoint for local residents and students to engage with civic questions.
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Cal Poly Humboldt’s theater department opened its production of Sophocles Antigone at Gist Hall Theatre on Friday November 7, drawing attention from campus and community audiences as well as local public radio. KHSU’s program Behind the Curtain visited the production and produced an audio feature published November 7 that includes an interview with director Cynthia Martells, a Tony nominated actor, and a roughly nine minute and twenty three second backstage look at the cast and creative choices.
The production runs on two consecutive weekends, November 7 through 9 and November 14 through 16, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:00 p.m. matinees on Sundays. Tickets are available through tickets.humboldt.edu, and limited door sales will begin one hour prior to each performance. The schedule and ticketing information make the production accessible to both students and residents of Humboldt County who wish to attend.
KHSU’s audio piece situates Antigone’s ancient text within contemporary concerns, emphasizing how themes of civil disobedience, gender roles, and the conflict between authority and personal conscience continue to resonate on a modern university campus. The radio feature provides listeners with behind the scenes reporting on production decisions and the ways the theater department is using classical drama to engage a diverse campus community. By spotlighting the creative process and the director’s artistic perspective, the coverage underscores the role of campus arts in public discourse.
For Humboldt County residents, the play and its coverage underscore the intersecting roles of higher education and community engagement. Public stagings of classical works provide a low cost opportunity for civic reflection, offering sightlines into how campuses interpret questions of law, morality, and social obligation. Local audiences who attend can expect not only a theatrical experience, but also a prompt for community conversations about how historical narratives inform present debates over authority and protest.
Institutionally, the production reflects Cal Poly Humboldt’s investment in sustaining a visible arts program as part of campus life and outreach. KHSU’s reporting amplifies that work, creating a bridge between the university and broader public media audiences. The combination of staged performances and radio coverage contributes to the cultural ecosystem of Humboldt County by making academic and artistic work available to residents and by framing theater as a venue for civic education and public deliberation.
Listeners and potential attendees can find tickets and performance details at tickets.humboldt.edu, and may purchase limited door tickets beginning one hour before showtime. The run through November 16 provides multiple opportunities for community members to see the production and to engage with the civic themes it raises.
