Hi Team,

Welcome to THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS' ever-evolving dramaturgy home! 

The purpose of this site is to provide you with abundant audio, visual, and textual resources before rehearsals, not to prescribe the world of our show but the opposite – to inspire your curiosity, questions, thoughts, and actions. The information comes not only from me but the entire creative team, as we hope to ground you in a limitless and coherent world. 

The highlight of this website is the Scene-by-Scene Underscored (see below the Quick Links or on the sidebar). On each subpage, you will find the music score of the scene and the video portion of it in the 1985 recording on Youtube. Please be aware that our version of GOSPEL will be different from Lee Breuer's production: Mark and Mahmoud are reworking the music, and I will update the scores and recordings as we progress in pre-production, rehearsals, and even tech. 

But for now, please launch your journey here with the existing materials. Let the music guide your discovery on this website and in rehearsal. 

You can find more contextual information further down the homepage or from the sidebar, on Ancient Greek theatre, Pentacostalism, Chicago gospel, Lee Breuer’s production, Court Theatre’s Trilogy, etc. I will also be adding new discoveries, reflections, and resources to this website. Check back in time! And let me know if you have any questions at any point. 

Looking forward to meeting y’all soon! 

With love and devotion,

Coco, Production Dramaturg

The Gospel at Colonus is Lee Breuer and Bob Telson’s 1983 adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus at Colonus, written at the end of the fifth century BCE. It is a symbiotic world of Ancient Greece and Black spiritual practice, in which Sophocles’ characters speak in concert with Black traditions of worship and sanctification.

After years of exile away from Thebes, the legendary city he once ruled, the blind Oedipus and his daughter Antigone arrive at Colonus, a suburb of Athens that is his promised resting place.

His second daughter Ismene finds them there, and brings them the prophecy that Oedipus is now blessed and can bestow blessings on others by being buried within their borders.

Antigone instructs Oedipus to give thanks in prayer to the gods he once offended. His story moves Theseus, King of Athens, and his people, who welcome Oedipus to live out his last days in Colonus.

However, Creon, the current ruler of Thebes, comes after Oedipus. Learning of the prophecy, he attempts to take Oedipus back home to obtain his blessing. Upon Oedipus’ refusal, Creon takes Antigone and Ismene hostage. The devastated father appeals to Theseus for help, who sends the Athenians to get the daughters back.  

While he waits for his daughters' safety to be secured, Oedipus receives another visitor. Polyneices, his eldest son who has been waging war against his brother Eteocles over Theban throne, comes as well to be blessed by his father before invading Thebes. But Oedipus curses him for his betrayal, condemning Polyneices to die.

In his last hour, Oedipus chooses to pass his blessing to Theseus and Athens. He finds his final resting ground, a place in Colonus known to Theseus alone.

Antigone and Ismene mourn the loss of their father. However, Oedipus miraculously returns to the stage. He delivers the final sermon and leads us to a joyful celebration of Oedipus’ spiritual redemption. 

"Indeed, his end was wonderful if mortal's ever was…let the weeping cease. These things are in the hands of God.”

More on Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone