Lycoming College will host free performances of “The Burial at Thebes” at 7:30 p.m. April 15-18 in the Mary L. Welch Theatre on Mulberry Street, a press release said.

“The Burial at Thebes,” written by Seamus Heaney, is a retelling of the classic Greek tragedy “Antigone,” by Sophocles. The main protagonist, Antigone, learns her brothers have slain each other in a vicious civil war. By decree of her uncle, the new king Creon, her brother Eteocles is to be buried with full honors, while her brother Polyneices is to remain unburied, marking him as a traitor to Thebes. Anybody who dares to bury Polyneices shall be put to death as punishment for defying the king’s orders. Antigone is struck with the decision to leave her brother disgraced, or to bury him with warrior’s honor.

“‘The Burial at Thebes’ poses moral questions that remain timeless in their weight and impact. It is the second production to take place in the newly renovated Mary L. Welch Theatre,” the press release said.

The show will be presented by the Lycoming College theatre department and is directed by Matt Ripa, visiting assistant professor of theatre.

The following Lycoming College students have been cast in the production: Gannon Bruno (Creon), Josefina Walls (Antigone), Adriana Seiberlich (Ismene), Kyle Czekaj (Haemon), Abigail La-Anni Bonsu (Tiresias), Tony Daily (Guard and chorus), Bailee Dincher (Messenger and chorus), Albert Campbell Jr. (chorus) and Gabriella Fugon (Eurydice).

“Even though the story of Antigone is over 2,000 years old, the questions this play asks feel very modern: what does patriotism mean, and what happens when your conscience tells you something different than your government? One of the reasons I was drawn to this play is how timely it feels. Seamus Heaney adapted it in the years after 9/11, but the questions it raises about power, patriotism, and standing up to authority still feel incredibly relevant,” said Ripa.