Gonzaga Players Henrik THEATRE

(20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) FEBRUARY 26th TO March 2nd, 2013

Celebrating 12 Years of Gonzaga

Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre direc- tor, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of realism" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre. His major works include , , , Emperor and Galilean, A Doll's House, , , , , and .

Several of his plays were considered scandalous to many of his era, when European theatre was required to model strict morals of family life and pro- priety. Ibsen's work examined the realities that lay behind many façades, revealing much that was disquieting to many contemporaries. It utilized a critical eye and free inquiry into the conditions of life and issues of moral- ity. The poetic and cinematic play Peer Gynt, however, has strong surreal elements.

Ibsen is often ranked as one of the truly great playwrights in the European tradition. Richard Hornby describes him as "a profound poetic dramatist— the best since Shakespeare". He influenced other playwrights and novelists such as George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Miller, James Joyce, and Eugene O'Neill. Many critics consider him the greatest playwright since Shakespeare.[3]

Ibsen wrote his plays in Danish (the common written language of Denmark and ) and they were published by the Danish publisher Gyldendal. Although most of his plays are set in Norway—often in places reminiscent of Skien, the port town where he grew up—Ibsen lived for 27 years in Italy and , and rarely visited Norway during his most productive years. Born into a merchant family connected to the patriciate of Skien, his dra- mas were shaped by his family background. He was the father of Prime Min- ister Sigurd Ibsen. A Doll’s House http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrik_Ibsen By: Directed by Matthew Burnham A Doll’s House: Summary Congratulations to the members of the Gonzaga

Act one Players who competed in the 2013 Sears Drama A Doll's House opens as Nora Helmer returns from Christmas shopping. Her husband Torvald comes out of his study to banter with her. They discuss how their finances will improve now that Torvald has a new job as the vice president of the bank. Torvald expresses his horror of debt. Nora Festival at St. Marcellinus S.S. behaves childishly, and he enjoys treating her like a child to be instructed and indulged. Soon, an old friend of Nora's, Christine Linde, arrives. She is a childless widow who is moving back to the city. Her husband left her no money, so she has tried different kinds of work and now hopes to find some work that is not too strenuous. Nora confides to Kristine that she once secretly bor- rowed money from a disgraced lawyer, Nils Krogstad, to save Torvald's life when he was very ill, but she has not told him in order to protect his pride. She told everyone that the money came from her father, who died at about the same time. She has been repaying the debt from her housekeep- ing budget and also from some work she got copying papers by hand, which she did secretly in her room, and took pride in her ability to earn money "as if she were a man." Torvald's new job prom- ises to finally liberate her from this debt.

Nora asks Torvald to give Kristine a position as a secretary in the bank, and he agrees, as she has experience in bookkeeping. They leave the house together. Krogstad arrives and tells Nora that he is worried he will be fired. He asks her to help him keep his job and says that he will fight desperately to keep it. Nora is reluctant to commit to helping him, so Krogstad reveals that he knows she committed forgery on the bond she signed for her loan from him. As a woman, she needed an adult male co-signer, so she said she would have her father do so. However the signature is dated three days after his death, which suggests that it is a forgery. Nora admits that she did forge the signature, so as to spare her dying father further worry about her (she was pregnant, poor, and had a seriously ill husband). Krogstad explains that the forgery be- trayed his trust and is also a serious crime. If he told others about it, her reputation would be ru- ined, as was his after a similar "indiscretion," even though he was never prosecuted. He implies that what he did was in order to provide for his sick wife, who later died.

Act two Christine arrives to help Nora repair a dress for a costume party she and Torvald plan to attend the next day. Torvald returns from the bank, and Nora pleads with him to reinstate Krogstad in his po- sition, claiming she is worried Krogstad will publish libelous articles about Torvald and ruin his ca- reer. Torvald dismisses her fears and explains that, although Krogstad is a good worker and seems to have turned his life around, he must be fired because he is not deferential enough to Torvald in front of other bank personnel. Torvald then retired to his study to work. Next Dr. Rank, a family friend, arrives. Nora proposes asking him for a favor, to which Rank reveals that he has entered the terminal stage of tuberculosis of the spine (a contemporary euphemism for congenital syphilis)[8] and that he has always been secretly in love with her. Nora tries to deny the first revelation and make light of it but is more disturbed by his declaration of love. She tries clum- sily to tell him that she is not in love with him but that she loves him dearly as a friend.

Dr. Rank, a family friend, arrives. Nora asks him for a favor, to which Rank reveals that he has en- tered the terminal stage of tuberculosis of the spine (a contemporary euphemism for congenital syphilis)[9] and that he has always been secretly in love with her. Nora tries to deny the first revela- tion and make light of it but is more disturbed by his declaration of love. She tries clumsily to tell him that she is not in love with him but that she loves him dearly as a friend. Desperate after being fired by Torvald, Krogstad arrives at the house. Nora convinces Dr. Rank to go in to Torvald's study so he will not see Krogstad. When Krogstad confronts Nora, he declares that he no longer cares about the remaining balance of Nora's loan but that he will preserve the as- sociated bond in order to blackmail Torvald into not only keeping him employed but promoting him as well. Nora explains that she has done her best to persuade her husband but that he refuses to change his mind. Krogstad informs Nora that he has written a letter detailing her crime (forging her father's signature of surety on the bond) and puts it in Torvald's mailbox, which is locked.

Summary provided by: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Doll’s_House Sears Drama A Doll’s House: Henrik Ibsen Nora tells Christine of her predicament. Christine says that she and Krogstad were in love before she married and promises that she will try to convince him to relent.

Torvald enters and tries to retrieve his mail but Nora distracts him by begging him to help her with Festival the dance she has been rehearsing for the costume party, feigning anxiety about performing. She dances so badly and acts so childishly that Torvald agrees to spend the whole evening coaching her. When the others go in to dinner, Nora stays behind for a few

Act three My Narrator Christine tells Krogstad that she only married her husband because she had no other means to support her sick mother and young siblings and that she has returned to offer him her love again. She believes that he would not have stooped to unethical behavior if he had not been devastated by Norm Foster her abandonment and in dire financial straits. Krogstad is moved and offers to take back his letter to Torvald. However, Christine decides that Torvald should know the truth for the sake of his and Nora's marriage. After literally dragging Nora home from the party, Torvald goes to check his mail but is interrupted by Dr. Rank, who has followed them. Dr. Rank chats for a while so as to convey obliquely to Nora Cast that this is a final goodbye, as he has determined that his death is near. Dr. Rank leaves, and Tor- vald retrieves his letters. As he reads them, Nora steels herself to take her life. Torvald confronts her with Krogstad's letter. Enraged, he declares that he is now completely in Krogstad's power—he Lacey Alanna Avila must yield to Krogstad's demands and keep quiet about the whole affair. He berates Nora, calling her a dishonest and immoral woman and telling her she is unfit to raise their children. He says that from now on their marriage will be only a matter of appearances. Miles Steven Griffin A maid enters, delivering a letter to Nora. The letter is from Krogstad, yet Torvald demands to read the letter, taking it from Nora. Torvald exults that he is saved as Krogstad has burned the incrimi- nating papers. He takes back his harsh words to his wife and tells her that he forgives her. Nora Barb Shenique Rochester realizes that her husband is not the strong and gallant man she thought he was and that he truly loves himself more than he does her. Torvald explains that, when a man has forgiven his wife, it makes him love her all the more since it Bob Kenis Arauz reminds him that she is totally dependent on him, like a child. He dismisses Nora's agonized choice made against her conscience for the sake of his health and her years of secret efforts to free them from the ensuing obligations and danger of loss of reputation, while preserving his peace of mind, as a mere mistake that she made owing to her foolishness, one of her most endearing feminine traits. Student Director Bradley Mendes Nora tells Torvald that she is leaving him to live alone so she can find out who she is and what she believes and decide what to do with her life. She says she has been treated like a doll to play with, first by her father and then by him. Concerned for the family reputation, Torvald insists that she Staff Supervisor Mrs. N. Gabriele fulfill her duty as a wife and mother, but Nora says that her first duties are to herself and that she cannot be a good mother or wife without learning to be more than a plaything. She reveals that she Mrs. J. Gomes had expected that he would want to sacrifice his reputation for hers and that she had planned to kill herself to prevent him from doing so. She now realizes that Torvald is not at all the kind of per- son she had believed him to be and that their marriage has been based on mutual fantasies and misunderstanding. Torvald is unable to comprehend Nora's point of view, since it contradicts all that he had been taught about the female mind throughout his life. Furthermore, he is so narcissistic that it would be impossible for him to bear to understand how he appears to her, as selfish, hypocritical and more concerned with public reputation than with actual morality. Nora leaves her keys and wedding ring and, as Torvald breaks down and begins to cry, baffled by what has happened, Nora leaves the house, slamming the door behind herself.

Alternative ending It was felt by Ibsen's German agent that the original ending would not play well in German theatres; therefore, for the play's German debut, Ibsen was forced to write an alternative ending for it to be considered acceptable.[9] In this ending, Nora is led to her children after having argued with Tor- vald. Seeing them, she collapses, and the curtain is brought down. Ibsen later called the ending a disgrace to the original play and referred to it as a 'barbaric outrage'.

Summary provided by: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Doll’s_House The Cast Graduating Gonzaga Players Torvald Helmer Justin Nahhas Lyla Abbas Nora Helmer Maria Christopoulos Kenis Arauz Mrs. Linde Lyla Abbas Alanna Avila Cole Bisson Nils Krogstad Cole Bisson Carolyn Blakely Dr. Rank Cameron Smith Micaela Cali

Anne-Marie Ivana Sarmiento-Uribe Maria Christopoulos Alain Croteau Helen Zara Diab Zara Diab

Porter Ordren Deko Laura Fusca Steven Griffen Helmer Children Isabella & Aliza Gabriele Bradley Mendes Devron Mundreon Justin Nahhas Cameron Smith

“All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players” William Shakespeare

Gonzaga Players Past Stage Crew Productions

The Crucible 2005-2006 Biloxi Blues 2006-2007 Director Mr. M. Burnham The Effects of Gamma Rays 2006-2007 Costume Designer Mrs. J. Gomes Death at the Mansion 2006-2007 Bloody Reunion 2006-2007 Stage/Prop Manager Mr. J. Eagles

Halloween Havoc 2007-2008 Construction Mr. P. Daley Death at Dark Lake 2007-2008 Mr. D. Daley Mr. L. Daley Death Metal Mayhem 2007-2008 A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2007-2008 Programme Design Mr. J. Eagles Curse of the Burmese Idol 2008-2009 Programme Front Cover Artwork Reine Tejares

A Streetcar Named Desire 2008-2009 Make-Up Nancy Jona Antigone (Sophocles & Jean Anouilh) 2009-2010 Stage /Audio Crew Julie Boulos Whiskey Stop 2009-2010 Mary Boulos Real World: Gone’Zaga 2009-2010 Jason Deeck Harvey 2010-2011 Brianne Ghaney Janelle Hemerding-Campbell It’s not a rash...I’m a Zombie! 2010-2011 Aimee Hu Macbeth 2011-2012 Marisa Myers Michelle Philip Well I'll be Gotterdammerunged... Julia Raftery A Tale of Vikings and Monsters 2011-2012 Cassie Savini Diana Tang Reine Tejares We hope to see you at the Gonzaga Sydney Williams Lauren Witteman Players next performance of

Thornton Wilder’s Our Town A special thanks to the Gonzaga Prefects as our Theatre Ushers for this week’s April 9th—13th performances.

Scotiabank: Proud Supporter of the Gonzaga Players

Scene Membership Card

Scene Membership Card and Scene Scotiabank Card

Scene Membership Card and Scene Visa Card

Name: Zara Diab Grade: 12 I have been a Gonzaga Player for four years and I feel like it is one of my greatest experiences. To be a Gonzaga Player is to be a part of a family. This family has helped me grow so much as a person, and I will never forget what I have learned from all my experi- ences as a Gonzaga Player. I have gained so much, and will forever have the wonderful memories to remind me. I will miss all my fellow cast members dearly, as well as the teachers who put their time and effort into the creation of this play: Mr. Burnham, Mr. Eagles, and Mrs. Gomes. Name: Ordren Deko Grade: 9 The Gonzaga Players creates memories. I enjoyed working with such a dedicated group, who made all of our rehearsals a lot of fun. It is such a gift to work with people who enjoy drama as much as I do. http://www.scotiabank.ca Even though this is my first experience with the Gonzaga Players, I have adapted to the process and have become familiar YOU ARE RICHER with all the great teachers who helped us along our journey. The cast is full THAN YOU THINK of talented people who have brought Ibsen’s characters to life. I know the passion and hard work will be visible in our performance. I hope that I will Attention all Gonzaga Students continue my drama career at Gonzaga. Enjoy! Bring your Scotiabank Scene card to any of the Gonzaga Player Performances and receive 10 House Special thanks to Herat Carpets for providing the carpets for Points. this production of A Doll’s House. YOU ARE RICHER THAN YOU THINK Name: Justin Nahhas Name: Cole Bisson Grade: 12 Grade: 12 The time I’ve spent preparing for my role in A Doll’s This is my first time working with Gonzaga Play- House has been nothing short of amazing. Bringing ers and it has been an incredible experience. I our characters to life was only a small piece of this wouldn’t trade the many hours of rehearsal for puzzle we call Gonzaga Players. The atmosphere anything in the world. Our small cast was able to and people I was fortunate enough to be around have made this experience one to remember. It’s my first year with Gon- bond during these hours and we were able to bring these characters zaga Players, and after this journey I ask myself why I didn’t join earlier. At to life. I hope all of you enjoy this play as much as we did preparing the end of the day the best feeling is seeing all the hard work we’ve put it for all of you! into this pay off, and I thank you all for being part of the experience with us.

Name: Maria Christopoulos Name: Cameron Smith Grade: 12 Grade: 12 Being a Gonzaga Player has been one of the best My experience with the Gonzaga players has al- decisions I’ve made in high school. This has been ways been an amazing one. Last year was my my second year in a production and I am so hon- first production and it was a terrific experience. oured that I was given the chance to play the role of This year has been different largely because of Nora. The cast of A Doll’s House is a group of amaz- the smaller cast of A Doll’s House allowed the entire cast to become very ing students who I’ve been really lucky to become friends with. I’m grateful that I am able to spend my last year as a Gonzaga Player with such great close. As Dr. Rank, I find myself playing a character similar to myself. friends, as well of the support I receive from the wonderful teachers who Rank is a caring and calm individual who maybe is a bit of pessimist, but help make this play happen: Mr. Eagles, Mrs. Gomes, and my favourite people seem to enjoy his presence anyways. I hope everyone enjoys the drama teacher, Mr. Burnham. play! I had so much fun preparing it for everyone!

Name: Lyla Abbas Name: Ivana Sarmiento-Uribe Grade: 12 Grade: 11 From my first year at Gonzaga, I knew that I wanted to I’ve had an unforgettable time with the Gonzaga Players this year. Auditioning for the play has to have been the participate in a school play. Being on stage with other best decision I’ve made in high school—from the incredi- great actors and learning how to put myself in someone ble people to the irreplaceable memories, these four else’s shoes was something I always looked forward to years of drama have shaped me into who I am today. I would never trade the doing. This is my first experience with Gonzaga Players hours of rehearsals, the fabulous costumes, or the laughter shared together for and I have had so much fun being a part of this amazing cast. The people I’ve anything in the world. Thank you always to the talented cast, Mr. Burnham for his worked with, the things I learned about acting, and about my character Anne- confidence and guidance, and to Ms. Gomes and Mr. Eagles for their endless sup- Marie… the experience was incredible. I hope that everyone watching will feel port. I hope you enjoy watching A Doll’s House as much as I did being a part of it. the same. Break a leg, Players!