Everyman Theatre: A Doll's House

Ignorance is bliss.  I have never seen anything by Ibsen before.  This new adaptation ran 90 minutes without an intermission, the adapter claiming to have removed the internal dialogue the "soliloquies that describe someone's inner thoughts and feelings...that felt stylistically dated."  She further supported her choices by stating the Ibsen was the first playwright of "Realism," but "was still working his way out of the style of the romantic melodramas of the time."  I would say the 90 minutes was a "just right" length.

Though edited up to a more contemporary script, the costumes and setting were contemporary with Ibsen's original era.  The set was simple with one surprise.  In the final seen with Nora leaves Torvald and their home she slams the over-sized door and when she does, the elaborate floor to ceiling curtains that flank of arch over the doorway drop!  Suddenly what was the interior of the doll's house becomes its exterior and Nora, looking defiant prepared to step off of the stoop into her new life.

Everyman is a repertory company with a deep bench of actors numbering about 20.  In this six-member cast, all but one are company members, and four are founding members.  Helen Hedman as Anne the household maid can make a wordless walk on shine like polished brass, and likewise, Bruce Randolph Nelson as Dr. Rank is one of the finest character actor's in the troupe.  

The leads were taken by Megan Anderson as Nora and Danny Gavigan as Torvald.  The very first play I ever saw at Everyman was "A Streetcar Named Desire".  Megan played Stella and Danny was Stanley.  Since then both at Everyman, and across other regional theatre companies I seen them perform nearly two dozen times.  What I've come to see is that their trajectories as actors are moving in opposite directions.  Megan is the faithful, can count on to present a role.  It may not be engaging, but it's solid.  You know what to expect.  You get Megan.  Danny on the other hand is becoming more and more interesting.  You don't know what to expect.  You can still count on an solid performance, but you won't see Danny--or at least, the same Danny from one character to the next.  His posture, his mannerisms, the timbre and presentation of his voice will be different.  You can have great confidence in Megan, but Danny?  You expect something new, something special.  Tonight, Torvald was the standout character of the production.

Nora (Megan Anderson) and Torvald (Danny Gavigan)

Kristine Lunde (Tuyet Thi Pham) with Nora and Torvald

Torvald and Nora

Nora with Anne (Helen Hedman)

Dr. Rank (Bruce Randolph Nelson) with Nora

Kristine and Nora

Torvald and Nora

Krogstad (James J. Johnson, the only non-repertory member of the cast) and Kristine

Dr. Rank

Nora dropping the mic on Torvald in the final scene