Studio Spotlight: A Doll’s House - The Muhlenberg Weekly

Director Ellie McKissick '26 weighs in on upcoming show

Coming later this semester is the Muhlenberg Theater Association’s (MTA) Studios Festival, and with it, a production of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House,” directed by Ellie McKissick ’26. Released in 1879, the Danish play focuses on a Victorian-era housewife named Nora Helmer, whose decisions in a male-dominated society force her to reconsider her relationships with her husband and children.

Considered to be the first piece of feminist playwriting, “A Doll’s House” left quite a first impression on McKissick, who initially read the piece in their junior year of high school.

“I fell in love with it then,” recounts McKissick. “Based on the content, if I were ever to do a Studio play, I knew this was the one I would do.” Although they have directed other pieces in the past, such as a Red Door Play Festival project last fall, this is their first-ever full-length production, making their connection to the play all the more salient.

Perhaps it is this prior experience that has ensured a generally smooth rehearsal process for McKissick, who has worked hard to create a safe environment for their actors and ensure they are all well taken care of.

“Based on the content, if I were ever to do a Studio play, I knew this was the one I would do.” – Ellie McKissick ’26

With such an emotionally taxing subject matter, it is only natural that those who are involved will struggle at times. McKissick has had to learn to accept, in their words, the art of “being comfortable with being uncomfortable,” and realizing that this phenomenon is simply an extension of the power of the piece. While they cannot stop anybody from grappling with the weight of “A Doll’s House,” they can certainly create a space where these emotions can be explored safely.

Part of the process of creating a safe space was through the unique casting decisions made by McKissick– while the play has many important male characters, none of the cast members are actually men. As the subject matter focuses heavily on female suffering, McKissick decided that it would be more powerful to portray patriarchy using non-male bodies. Using men to illustrate ideas of societally ingrained sexism would be simple, but far less impactful.

With no men on stage, the actors have to create a sense of male superiority without ever actually having been in that position before; a challenge, but one that when executed will make the heavy subject matter of “A Doll’s House” easier to appreciate.

“It’s been a very hands-on process, we recently ran lines while painting ornaments for a part of the set,” says Emiko Fletcher ‘25, further going on to note that “It’s a very communal theater space where I feel so comfortable with my cast mates and team in such a short amount of time.”

McKissick has praised their cast on their portrayals of the text, noting that it was initially difficult to figure out what style to approach it with and to figure out how exactly to fully invest themselves into the characters and the story. Luckily, McKissick has reported that everyone is doing well and handling their portrayals with the kind of grace that such a poignant piece deserves. Coming soon to Muhlenberg audiences, McKissick’s unique take on this classic play seems to be well worth seeking out.