Synopsis

Chicago. Present day. Xtigone's brothers have been killed in drive-by shootings by each other's rival gang. Her uncle, Marcellus da Man, calls a press conference on CNN to announce that the bodies should be buried instead of uncovering the reality of violence in the streets of the city. Will Xtigone go against her powerful uncle and risk death by uncovering her brothers' bodies? Using hip hop poetry, dance, and dialogue that speaks with an urban voice, this re-imagining of Sophocles' Antigone tells the story of the ill-fated Xtigone and her quest for her community's truth.

"Kelley's urban myth recasts Sophocles' classic morality play about pride into a blood-soaked examination of gun violence and inner-city PTSD... It's an amazing show." - Erik K. Arnold, Oakulture (Oakland, CA)

"One of the thrilling things to take in here is the relevance to the story that Kelley has given the legion of high school and college students doing this play. The original Sophocles play is not out of reach for students, but anyone trying to teach English or Philosophy to teenagers knows ancient Greece is a tough sell to keep their attention. I could imagine, while watching Xtigone, students perking up in their chairs when teachers pivot or teach Antigone and Xtigone in parallel. It is a powerful work, doing good work for all of us." - David Kiley, Encore Michigan