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countries--to ex~;nine themselves in terms of the "passion" being perfonned . .jQ The "passion" was perf01·rred in New York with Miriam Colon as Anti'gona.
Opposite her was Manu Tupou as Creon.
According to Anthony
Hancini, the scenes of confrontation were very effective and a tribute to fine acting: A good share of the crec;!J t belongs to t~e two main perforn-ers. ~liriam Colon play~ t~e val1ant, doomed Antlgona 1~ith undet·stated conv1ct10n and a kind of calm, resolute passion. And ~dnu Tupou~ an imposing six-foot-plus Polynesian actor who comb1nes great prese~ce 1~i th a beiluti ful vote: an~ solid talent, was bri l11ant as the banana republlc d1ctator Generali'simo creon l·lolina. The scene in 1.,.hich he tries to convince Antf9ona to renounce her principles.and escape the firing squad (Sophocles had her buned alive) is particularly affecting.31 Playing other leading roles \'/ere June Adams as Creon's wife Pilar, peter Blaxill as l·lonsignor Escudero, Nary Bell as Antl'gona's mother Aurora, and Irene de Bari as Ir·ene, Antfgona's close friend. 32 As for the directing by Cabrera, the New York Times review stated, Last night the play, the players and the very setting of the Church, merged no less than hautingly, undet· Pablo carera'~
understanding direction.
Nothing more was
needed. 3 The _REilY rlevJS revie1-1 also praised the overall quality of the produc-
tion:
"They are top-notch actors, and the direction of Pablo Cabrera, 30 Ibid.' p. 98. 31 Anthony l~uncini, "Anti'gona Takes to the Str-eets," p. 21.
32 Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, Program Notes for the production of The Passion of Anti~ona P5rez. 33 Howard Thomson, "Stage: Ant1, go~rez," p~ p. 20.