The History of The Antipodes
The Antipodes by Annie Baker originally debuted Off-Broadway at the Pershing Square Signature Center/The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre. Previews began April 4th, 2017, with an opening night of April 18th, 2017. The performance closed on June 11th, 2017, after being extended three times due to a sold-out run. All tickets to this production at the Signature Theatre were $30. The production was directed by Lila Neugebauer and Machel Ross as assistant director. The production featured a liminal conference room set designed by Laura Jellinek assisted by Frank Oliva and fitting costumes by Kaye Voyce assisted by Amy Wright. The lighting was strategically designed by Tyler Micoleau with assistance by Isabella Byrd and sound designed by Bray Poor assisted by Beth Lake. Gilbert Medina worked as the general manager for The Antipodes Off-Broadway. The production featured Laura Smith as the stage manager, with Ed Herman as the assistant stage manager.
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The original cast featured Phillip James Brannon as Adam, Josh Charles as Dave, Hugh Dancy as the voice of Max, Josh Hamilton as Josh, Danny Mastrogiorgio as Danny M1, Danny McCarthy as Danny M2, Emily Cass McDonnell as Eleanor, Brian Miskell as Brian, Will Patton as Sandy, and Nicole Rodenburg as Sarah. This production was deemed a success by reviewers. |
“an intensely vivid hypnotizing act disguised as a play."
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“Caldwell lets all nine members of the cast shine.”
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Australian Premiere:
In the summer of 2018 Red Stitch: The Actors’ Theatre in Melbourne Australia produced the Australian premiere of Baker’s work. The show opened on July 10th and closed August 12th, 2018. The show was scheduled for a limited run. The show was directed by Ella Caldwell and featured set and costume designs by Chloe Greaves. The lighting was designed by Clare Springett and Bronwyn Pringle and with Sound Design & Composition by Dan Nixon. The cast featured Ngaire Dawn Fair, Casey Filips, Darcy Kent, Ben Prendergast, Harvey Zielinski, Jim Daly, George Lingard, Dushan Philips, and Edwina Samuels. |
UK Premiere:
In October of 2019 the National Theatre in London produced the first UK production of The Antipodes. Previews began October 21st with an opening night of October 30th. The show closed on a limited run on November 23rd. The production was directed by playwright Annie Baker herself along with Chloe Lamford. The show featured lighting design by Natasha Chivers as well as sound design done by Tom Gibbons. The all-star cast starred Game of Thrones actor Conleth Hill as Sandy. The rest of the cast featured Matt Bardock, Arthur Darvill, Imogen Doel, Hadley Fraser, Conleth Hill, Sinéad Matthews, Stuart McQuarrie, and Bill Milner. |
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Canadian Premiere:
In April 2022 the Coal Mine Theatre Company in Toronto Canada produced the Canadian premiere of Annie Baker’s work. The show opened April 3rd and ran for a limited run until May 15th. The Canadian premiere was directed by Ted Dykstra. Set and lighting design was done by Nick Blais with sound design by Andy Trithardt. Alexandra Lord designed the costumes with props designed by Kayla Chaterji. The production was stage managed by Hannah MacMillan. The cast featured Simon Bracken, Joshua Browne, Ari Cohen, Sarah Dodd, Colin A. Doyle, Murray Furrow, Nadeem Phillip, Kelsey Verzotti, and Joseph Zita. Since this was one of the first productions at the Coal Mine Theatre after the COVID-19 pandemic, it was mandatory for audience members to wear masks as well as show proof of vaccination. The Antipodes by Annie Baker seems to be a perfect piece of art to summarize the world of storytelling and television, especially in the post pandemic world. |
Community Theatre and University Productions:
Many community and regional theatres have also produced The Antipodes. Some of these theatres include the Hyde Park Theatre in 2018, Shakespeare 70 in what was supposed to be 2020 but later postponed to 2023 due to the pandemic, and the Road Less Traveled Theatre in 2020. These productions all received positive reviews and seemed like a great way to share Baker’s work across the United States. Along with Elon University’s current production of the play, several colleges and universities have produced this work. In close proximity to Elon, UNC Charlotte put up The Antipodes in 2022. Yale College and Ramapo College of New Jersey also produced the show in 2022. This work is important for student actors as they become fully immersed in these characters, learning much more skill for their craft. In January of 2020 the Mark Taper Forum announced that some actors from the original Off-Broadway 2017 Signature Theatre would return for a production staged by The Center Theatre group. Previews were scheduled to begin on March 25th, 2020, but the show was postponed due to the ongoing pandemic and health concerns. |