In December of 1879, Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” premiered in Denmark, telling the story of a housewife searching for self-fulfillment in a male-dominated world.
More than 140 years later, in a progressive new adaptation making its Chicago premiere at the Raven Theatre beginning Feb. 6, “A Doll’s House” is feeling more relevant than ever.
“Whether you are looking women’s choice or the way the judicial system currently conducts themselves, the inequality is still there,” explains director Lauren Shouse. “I think this play is going to offer up the audience a chance to look at our society and the structures that we have built that promote inequality, and think about how we can take responsibility as people to make a change.”
The new production, which utilizes a translation by Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey and adaptation by Hanes Harvey and Kirsten Brandt, purposely strives to make a somewhat ancient tale feel new again.
“We have done much to make it progressive, such as our design, which highlights a black and white world trapped by walls and roles and that kind of thing,” explains Shouse, who received her MFA in theater directing at Northwestern University. “A bit more contemporary language is used and the humor is kicked up a tad, but as a whole, it’s all about moving the story forward so a contemporary audience can really engage with it.”
“I’ve long been intrigued about what it means to re-stage classics in modern times and how changing that context can change how a play is interpreted,” adds Amira Danan, who plays the role of Nora, the spirited young housewife trapped in a patriarchal world. “I truly believe Nora would have probably considered herself an early feminist if those words were available to her back then. Despite what some say, I don’t believe Nora is selfish or a bad person. She just wanted to be seen as an equal human being.”
Tricia Despres is a local freelance writer.
