Tickets are limited for our remaining performances of Antigone, which runs until September 18 in our Douglas Campbell Theatre. Says one audience member, “Words alone are inadequate… [Antigone is] simply magical.”
We’re thrilled to have award-winning actor and theatre creator Yoshie Bancroft with us this summer to bring Antigone to life. We chatted with Yoshie about making her Bard debut with this iconic role, a moment of audience interaction that has stuck with her from this Season, and why Antigone is a story that still resonates with audiences over 2,000 years later.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you first discovered theatre?
I started doing theatre when I was in high school. When I was a kid, I used to race dinghies, but I’d always be afraid of the wind picking up or my boat capsizing. I remember having to work up the courage to ask my dad to leave the sailing team and switch to theatre. He would take me to theatre, dance, and opera when I was small. I remember seeing The Overcoat by Morris Panych and Wendy Gorling at the Vancouver Playhouse, and that was it for me. It was so beautiful. At that time my mum was writing theatre reviews for a local Japanese paper, so she would also take me along to shows.
This is your first Season at Bard! How has that experience been?
It’s lovely here—it’s such a beautiful place to come to work and see the sunset every day. My colleagues are wonderful, and there’s always fresh baking (thank you Melissa Oei)! I feel really fortunate to be part of the Company this Season and to get to play in both tents, and in both comedy and tragedy. My debut Season at Bard is like a delicious combo platter.
Yoshie Bancroft as Antigone in Antigone (2026) | Photo by Emily Cooper
What has it been like to dive into a role like Antigone this summer?
It can feel a little daunting sometimes, haha. It’s not just the emotional journey, but also the historic lineage of this play in performance for thousands of years. It’s pretty wild to imagine that another company of actors performed this story in Ancient Greece 2,000 years ago, and here I am going on the same journey through the narrative. Antigone is iconic, and I’m as curious about her steadfast power as her vulnerabilities. Kate Besworth’s adaptation is so rich and also remarkably un-prescriptive—it’s really up to the performer to mine what feels authentic. It’s a real gift. There’s so much space to explore what buckles her and what ignites her.
In her Director’s Notes, Ming Hudson describes Antigone as “a narrative that we should have learned from and moved past… [but] feels more critical than ever.” What do you think it is about this story that still resonates so much today?
I think that seeing someone in a leadership role taking action in a way that you fundamentally disagree with is a pretty universal experience. And seeing how power, money or ego can seemingly easily corrupt our political and business leaders is disappointing and infuriating as well. It’s empowering to see someone with the courage to stand up to authority and fight for what they believe in.
In addition to playing Antigone, you also play the Hostess in The Merry Wives of Windsor. How has it been balancing these two very different productions?
I love it. What a blessing to be able to switch back and forth. With each switch I feel reinvigorated to dive into the show. Playing eight Antigone shows in a week could be a pretty heart-heavy summer, so it’s great to have The Merry Wives of Windsor to balance things out and really bask in the joy and fun. I do love tragedy though, so I’m living the dream.
Yoshie Bancroft as the Hostess in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2026) | Photo by Emily Cooper
Do you have a favourite memory or moment that stands out to you from the Season so far?
The other night, we had a really dialled-in audience for Antigone. Though it’s a tragedy, there is a fair amount of humour, and you could tell this audience felt permission to express their joy or anger or shock. There’s a scene with Jocasta (played by Jennifer Lines) and Antigone where mother and daughter are saying goodbye for the last time. It’s tender and difficult. During a moment of suspended tension, someone nearby gently encouraged, “Hug her, boo,” and it just rocked me. Just adrenaline and grief. It’s such a beautiful reminder that the audience receiving the story is an important part of our shared experience in storytelling. We come together, a group of strangers, breathing together, hearts beating together, we experience a thing in community, and then return to our lives. I’m a bit of a nerd about it, but I do think there’s magic in that.
Is there anything that you’ve been reading/watching/listening to lately?
I’ve been reading The Forever Girl by Alexander McCall Smith (a copy from my dad, discarded in the laundry room in his building).
When you’re not under the tents at Bard, how do you like to spend your time?
I just got a stand-up paddle board, so I’ve been doing that a lot!
Photo by Yoshie Bancroft
Thanks so much, Yoshie!
There’s less than one month left to see her in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Antigone, so don’t wait—our 2026 Season must close on September 19. Tickets start at $30!