A Doll’s House

[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of Beverly Hills Playhouse’s THE DOLL’S HOUSE PROJECT – A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Mia Christou, and A Doll’s House, part 2 by Lucas Hnath, directed by Allen Barton.

What a brilliant idea to perform both Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and A Doll’s House Part 2 by Luca Hnath concurrently.

I have seen some really wonderful productions at Beverly Hills Playhouse over the years. But this is the first time they have produced two plays in such a way. I adore Ibsen, what sane person does not? So I was thrilled to see their version and I was not at all disappointed. Wonderfully acted, beautifully directed, achieving that classic Ibsen brutal sarcasm, liberally sprinkled with darkness.

A Doll’s House was quite a revolutionary story in its day. Back when women were basically property and had no real autonomy…hmm. Nora, our heroine, is a seemingly happy and well-adjusted wife and mother of two. She is perfectly content with her perfectly lovely life and married to a banker, Torvald, who is soon to become the bank’s regional manager and therefore rich. But as the story of their lives together unfolds, we see beneath the facade Nora has created and as it all painfully unravels, she must become who she has always truly been.

It’s a metamorphosis of sorts. Although Nora, like many women before her and many more since has desperately tried to fit into her role as wife and mother. Twisting herself, hiding herself and all the while living a dangerous lie. Her husband dotes on her, but is it really her he wants or some strange facsimile of a woman? The story feels so modern, although it was written in 1879 in Denmark. It’s timeless and still so incredibly relevant it’s spooky. Who are we really? Why do we stay with who we stay with? How can we force ourselves into roles we have no desire for rather than be alone? Nora changes her life. But only because she had to, or did she engineer a crisis so she would have no choice but to?

Ibsen is an utter master at the obvious and this play is a stroke of genius and very forward looking…many feathers were ruffled when this first hit the boards! But isn’t that exactly what live theatre is supposed to do? Provoke a response to life? The cast is superb. Nora and her Torvald are deliciously good and both break our hearts in different fashions. But I don’t want to give too much away!

The performances are absolutely brilliant. Emily Chapman’s Nora is effervescent and heartbreaking. Griffin Taylor’s Torvald utterly believable total lack of understanding pivoting to his desperation is perfect. In fact, every single actor holds fast to their characters, each so very different from one another, which is Ibsen at his best. Throwing wildly different people together and forcing them to just figure it out.

I can happily highly recommend A Doll’s House at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, miss this Playhouse project at your peril!! I saw both on the same Sunday and was gleefully transported to 1890’s Norway, you could almost smell the snow in the air!

https://www.bhplayhouse.com/shows-tickets/

November 1 – December 8Friday, Saturday & Sunday

The Beverly Hills Playhouse

254 S Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Directed by Mia Christou

Emily Chapman as NORA HELMERGriffin Taylor as TORVALD HELMERMara Weisband as KRISTINE LINDEWallez (Wally) James as NILS KROGSTADEric Toms as DR. PETER RANKJody Booth as ANNE-MARIE

UNDERSTUDIES:Freya Adams as NORA HELMERJeremy Smolik as TORVALD HELMERDavid Bernstein as DR. PETER RANKEsther Treadway as ANNE-MARIE

Mentor Stage Manager – Miles CooperStage Manager – Kenny Pollone2nd Stage Manager – David BelloLighting Design – Derrick McDanielSet Design – Mia ChristouSound Designer – Allen BartonAssistants to Producer / Director – Elena Musser and Ariana ParsaPublicity by Sandra Kuker PR (Sandra Kuker-Franco)