A Doll's House, Part 2
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SC 53rd Season • 508th Production JULIANNE ARGYROS STAGE / APRIL 9-30, 2017 Marc Masterson Paula Tomei ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR David Emmes & Martin Benson FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORS presents the world premiere of A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2 by Lucas Hnath Takeshi Kata Sara Ryung Clement Tom Ontiveros Cricket S. Myers Se Hyun Oh COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN SOUND DESIGN SCENIC DESIGN Kimberly Colburn Joshua Marchesi Joanne DeNaut, CSa Bree Sherry DRAMATURG PRODUCTION MANAGER CASTING STAGE MANAGER Directed by Shelley Butler The Playwrights Circle Susan Bowman and Freddie Greenfield • Mary Ann Brown and Rick Reiff •Sandy Segerstrom Daniels • Dr. Robert F. and Julie A. Davey Patricia Ellis • Margaret M. Gates • Don Hecht • Lea and Harmon Kong • Anne and Christian Mack Carl Neisser • Barbara Roberts • Peter and Joy Sloan Honorary Producer A Doll’s House, Part 2 was commissioned by South Coast Repertory. This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award. A Doll’s House, Part 2 • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) Anne Marie ................................................................................. Lynn Milgrim Nora .................................................................................... Shannon Cochran Torvald ..................................................................................... Bill Geisslinger Emmy .......................................................................................... Virginia Vale SETTING Norway. Inside the Helmer house, 15 years after Nora left Torvald. LENGTH Approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission. PRODUCTION STAFF Production Assistant ...................................................................... Kathleen Barrett Assistant Director ....................................................................... Brittany Campbell Assistant to the Director ....................................................................... Keira Talley Costume Design Assistant ............................................................ J. Wendy Wallace Stage Management Intern ................................................................. Elena L. Perez Light Board Operator ............................................................................... Dan Gold Sound and Projections Operator ............................................................ Sam Levey Dresser ............................................................................................... Jessica Larsen Wig and Makeup Technician ......................................................... Gillian Woodson Additional Costume Staff ...................... Alexis Riggs, Lauren Smith, Sarah Timm The Actors and Stage Managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Please refrain from unwrapping candy or making other noises that may disturb surrounding patrons. Videotaping and/or recording of this performance by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited. Electronic devices should be turned off or set to non-audible mode during the performance. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the theatre. Media Partner Media Partner P2 • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • A Doll’s House, Part 2 The Slamming Door Heard ‘Round the World by Kimberly Colburn behind women continue to be, when most plays and films still feature more male than female characters and work bsen’s controversial A Doll’s House was met with a famously dries up for older women unless they are among divided reception. The final moments of the play, as a lucky handful. It’s interesting that Ibsen, never shying seen below, portrayed Nora leaving her husband and from the controversy the play originally caused, publicly family. That slam of the door reverberated around declared that he was not a feminist. the world. Feminists hailed Nora’s actions, while oth- Given the weight and iconic status of A Doll’s Iers decried the loss of family values and argued that it House, it is no surprise playwright Lucas Hnath used the would encourage women to abandon their family duties. idea of a sequel as a framework to explore modern rela- A Copenhagen paper proclaimed, “Finally an event at The tionships. What will happen when Nora returns to knock Royal Theatre, and an event of the first class! This play on that fateful door? touches the lives of thousands of families; oh yes there are thousands of such doll-homes, where the husband The end of A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen (translated by Eva Le treats his wife as a child he amuses himself with, and so Gallienne), first performed at The Royal Theatre in that is what the wives become… Who, after seeing this Copenhagen in December play, has the courage to speak scornfully about run-away 1879. wives?” On the other hand, the London Evening Standard said “it would be a misfortune were such a morbid and un- You really mean it’s over, Nora? Really wholesome play to gain the favour of the HELMER: public.” over? You’ll never think of me again? Few plays have spawned as many NORA: I expect I shall often think of you; of sequels, parodies or adaptations from the you—and the children, and this house. very outset. A revised version with an al- HELMER: May I write to you? ternate ending premiered in Flensburg, Germany a few months following the Nor- NORA: No—never. You mustn’t! Please! wegian premiere. When leading woman HELMER: At least, let me send you— Hedwig Niemann-Raabe refused to act the NORA: Nothing! part as written, Nora did not leave home at the end of the play—the curtain instead HELMER: But, you’ll let me help you, Nora— fell after Torvald showed Nora the children NORA: No, I say! I can’t accept anything from and she sank to the ground—an amendment strangers. Ibsen later described as “a barbaric outrage.” Must I always be a stranger to you, Nora? In 1881, Norwegian MJ Bugge published How HELMER: Nora Returned Home Again: An Epilogue. The NORA: Yes, unless it were to happen—the most original script was forbidden to be performed wonderful thing of all— in London, but in 1884 an adaptation of A Doll’s HELMER: What? House by Henry Arthur Jones and Henry Her- man renamed Breaking a Butterfly premiered NORA: Unless we both could change so that—Oh, at the Princess Theatre in London. Productions Torvald! I no longer believe in miracles, you of A Doll’s House were forbidden as late as the see! me 1920s in China. In the last 100 or so years, there HELMER: Tell me! Let believe! Unless we both have been far too many productions, adaptations, could change so that—? or artistic responses to list. NORA: —So that our life together might truly be The play carries great weight still—there a marriage. Good-bye. (She goes to the door.) were three high profile London revivals of A Doll’s HELMER: Nora! Nora! She is gone! How empty it House in 2013—and the role of Nora has been lik- all seems! The most wonderful thing of all—? ened to the role of Hamlet for men, something ev- From below is heard the reverberation of a ery actor strives to tackle. Nora has also become a ( heavy door closing. End of Play. symbol of what is possible and a reminder of how far ) A Doll’s House, Part 2 • South CoaSt RepeRtoRy • P3 Artist Biographies SHANNON COCHRAN Ghost Light by Tony Taccone and as assistant direc- Nora tor of A Streetcar Named Desire. His other credits include the world premiere of Continental Divide by was last seen at SCR in System David Edgar (OSF, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Wonderland. Her recent appear- Playhouse, in the U.K. at Birmingham Repertory and ances include Lucas Hnath’s The the Barbican Center in London) and the world pre- Christians at Steppenwolf Theatre miere of X’s and O’s by K.J. Sanchez (Berkeley Reper- and Roundabout Theatre Com- tory Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage). He also has pany’s national tour of Cabaret. performed at the Old Globe Theatre, Long Wharf The- Her other theatre credits include the national tour of atre, Huntington Theatre Company, Intiman Theatre, August: Osage County, receiving a Helen Hayes nomi- Denver Center Theatre Company, Virginia Stage Com- nation and Chicago Theatre Award; Goldfish (Route pany, Mechanic Theatre, Artists Repertory Theatre, 66 Theatre); The Little Foxes (Goodman Theatre); Merrimack Repertory Theatre and Portland Center Dance of Death ( Joseph Jefferson Award); A Little Stage. Geisslinger’s film and television credits include Night Music, Hamlet, The Father, The Lion in Win- “Grimm,” “Cheers,” “St. Elsewhere,” “News Radio,” ter (Writers Theatre); Man From Nebraska, The Un- “Nowhere Man,” Dead by Sunset, A Thousand Heroes, mentionables, Morningstar, Your Home in the West, Imaginary Crimes and American Playhouse: The Skin The Geography of Luck (Steppenwolf Theatre); and of Our Teeth. The Last Goodbye (Old Globe Theatre). She is an Obie and TheatreWorld awards-winner for Tracy Letts’ LYNN MILGRIM Bug (Gate Theatre, London; Barrow Street Theatre). Anne Marie She has appeared at other theatres including Long Wharf Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, appeared at SCR previously in Court Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, Marriott The- Rest, The Trip to Bountiful, The atre in Lincolnshire (Ill.), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Heiress, The Caucasian Chalk Park, Playhouse on the Square and Barbican Center Circle, Bosoms and Neglect, The (London). Her directing credits include Fallen Angels Countess, Death of a Salesman (Remy Bummpo), Dirty (Zephyr), Bug (barebones pro- and Pygmalion. On Broadway, ductions),