2014 Winter/Spring Season MAR 2014 Bill Beckley, I’m Prancin, 2013, Cibachrome photograph, 72”x48” Published by: BAM 2014 Winter/Spring Sponsor: BAM 2014 Winter/Spring Season #ADOLLSHOUSE Brooklyn Academy of Music Alan H. Fishman, Chairman of the Board William I. Campbell, Vice Chairman of the Board Adam E. Max, Vice Chairman of the Board A Karen Brooks Hopkins, President Doll’s Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer House By Henrik Ibsen English language version by Simon Stephens Young Vic Directed by Carrie Cracknell BAM Harvey Theater Feb 21 & 22, 25—28; Mar 1, 4—8, 11—15 at 7:30pm Feb 22; Mar 1, 8 & 15 at 2pm Feb 23; Mar 2, 9 & 16 at 3pm Approximate running time: two hours and 40 minutes, including one intermission BAM 2014 Winter/Spring Season sponsor: Set design by Ian MacNeil Costume design by Gabrielle Dalton Lighting design by Guy Hoare Music by Stuart Earl BAM 2014 Theater Sponsor Sound design by David McSeveney Leadership support for A Doll’s House provided by Choreography by Quinny Sacks Frederick Iseman Casting by Julia Horan CDG Associate director Sam Pritchard Leadership support for Scandinavian Hair, wigs, and make-up by Campbell Young programming provided by The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation Literal translation by Charlotte Barslund Major support for theater at BAM provided by: The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc. Donald R. Mullen Jr. Presented in the West End by Young Vic, The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund The SHS Foundation Mark Rubinstein, Gavin Kalin, Neil Laidlaw The Shubert Foundation, Inc. A Doll’s House—Cast Helene Mabel Clements Delivery Man Simon Desborough Nils Krogstad Nick Fletcher Anna Leda Hodgson Kristine Linde Caroline Martin Nora Helmer Hattie Morahan Torvald Helmer Dominic Rowan Dr. Jens Rank Steve Toussaint Child characters: Ivar, Jon, and Emmy Helmer Mabel Clements Simon Desborough Nick Fletcher Leda Hodgson Caroline Martin Hattie Morahan Dominic Rowan Steve Toussaint A Doll’s House —Production Credits PRODUCTION CREDITS Company stage manager Sarah Tryfan American stage manager R. Michael Blanco Children’s casting (BAM) Carol Blanco Design assistant (set) Jim Gaffney Production manager Matt Noddings Costume supervisor Joanne Hayes Production electrician Nicki Brown Production carpenter Simon Evans Original set built by Miraculous Engineering West End and BAM additions built by Capital Scenery Additional sound equipment Stage Sound Services Costume makers/supply Debo Andrews Karen Griffiths Anna Barcock Zeb Lalijee Gabrielle Dalton Pauline Parker Madeline Fry Debs Tallentire Photography Johan Persson and Richard Hubert Smith General Management Mark Rubinstein Ltd; Mark Rubinstein, Martina Thompson, Catherine Hooper This production of A Doll’s House first played at the Young Vic between June 29 and August 4, 2012 and again between March 28 and April 20, 2013, and in the West End at the Duke of York’s Theatre between August 8 and October 26, 2013. The producers would like to thank all those involved in the original performances both on and offstage. The actors are appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association. The American stage manager is a member of Actors’ Equity Association. ABOUT IBSEN AND A DOLL’S HOUSE Hedda Gabler (both in 2006), John Gabriel Borkman (2011), and The Master Builder HENRIK IBSEN (1828—1906), the eldest (2013), among others. of five children, was born in the coastal town of Skien, Norway into a family that fell into A Doll’s House was first published in 1879, poverty when he was eight. He worked in an and premiered at Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre. apothecary, writing and painting in his spare Performances of it provoked controversy in time, and wrote his first play, Catilina, in 1850. northern Europe, and a renowned German He was employed in theaters in Christiania actress refused to play Nora as written, requiring (now Oslo) and Bergen, counting among his a disgraced Ibsen to write an alternative ending. jobs poet and director, and began fully focusing In 1881, Ibsen wrote Ghosts (considered on writing in 1862; he spent the next decades the sister play to A Doll’s House), which also in Italy and Germany. After a number of verse provoked argument; some eminent theaters plays, including Brand and Peer Gynt, he wrote declined to present it. A Doll’s House was first 12 monumental prose plays, including many performed in England in 1889, garnering great presented in theaters throughout the world and and ongoing interest. at BAM in recent years—The Wild Duck and A Doll’s House—Synopsis ACT I He leaves Nora to rehearse the tarantella she’s preparing for the party. When Dr. Rank arrives, It’s Christmas and the Helmer household is he confides in Nora that he doesn’t have long busy with preparations. Nora Helmer arrives to live but forbids her to tell Torvald. As Nora home laden with gifts and her husband Torvald considers asking for his financial help, Rank playfully admonishes her for how much she’s reveals that he loves her, only to be rebuffed spent. She encourages him to relax; his new and sent in to see Torvald. Nora locks the study position as head of the Savings Bank means door on the two men so she can see Krogstad, they won’t have to worry about money in the who has arrived to confront her. He has written future. They are interrupted by the unexpected a letter to Torvald detailing her forgery and arrival of Kristine Linde, a childhood friend of demanding a higher job at the bank. As Krogstad Nora’s who has come to Christiania to look for leaves, he posts the letter in Torvald’s locked work. Kristine describes the loveless marriage post box. Nora confesses her crime to Kristine, from which she was freed by the death of her who leaves to ask Krogstad to retrieve the letter. husband. Nora confides in Kristine about the In an attempt to distract him from his post, difficult years they had when Torvald was ill. Nora persuades Torvald to help her practice the She tells her about the trip they took to Italy to tarantella. repair his health and the money she had to borrow without his knowledge, which she has almost paid back. After introducing Kristine to —Intermission— their close friend Dr. Rank and pushing Torvald to offer her a job, Nora is left alone in the house with the children. Her lender, the bank clerk ACT III Nils Krogstad, pays an unexpected visit to tell her that he expects Torvald to remove him from It’s the evening of the fancy dress party upstairs. his post at the bank. He reveals to Nora that he Kristine arranges a meeting with Krogstad at the knows she forged her father’s signature to secure Helmers’ house. As they reconnect and revive the loan and threatens to tell Torvald everything a youthful romance, Krogstad offers to ask for unless she intervenes to protect his position at his letter back, but Kristine argues that Nora’s the bank. When Torvald returns, Nora asks him secret must be revealed. After Krogstad leaves, to reconsider Krogstad’s position but he refuses, the Helmers return and Torvald drunkenly citing the clerk’s poor moral character and crimes boasts about his wife to the departing Kristine. that include forgery. Alone, Torvald tries to seduce Nora, only to be interrupted by Dr. Rank who calls in for a ACT II nightcap and to let Nora know that tests have confirmed his imminent death. After Rank’s The morning after their Christmas Eve departure, Nora encourages Torvald to open celebrations, Nora is putting together her his letters. He reacts with fury to Krogstad’s costume for a fancy dress party the couple plan revelation, accusing Nora of betraying and to attend. As Kristine helps to repair her dress, bringing ruin onto their household. When Nora comes close to confessing the truth about another letter arrives from Krogstad, returning the loan only for Torvald to arrive home from the contract of debt and repenting his blackmail, the bank. Nora begs him once more to keep Torvald celebrates. However, Nora starts to Krogstad at the bank. Torvald, angry at his wife’s gather her things and to explain to him why she challenge, argues that he has already given the has to leave. job to Kristine. In order to settle the matter, he sends Krogstad a letter containing his dismissal. Who’s Who SIMON STEPHENS (English language version) Theatre, New York). Opera includes: Wozzeck Plays include: The Curious Incident of the Dog (ENO). Film includes: Nora (Guardian/Young Vic/ in the Night-Time (National Theatre 2012, The Space, directed and co-written with Nick West End current), Morning (Traverse and Lyric Payne). Cracknell trained at the University of Hammersmith, 2012), Three Kingdoms (No99, Nottingham (history), the Royal Scottish Acad- Munich Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith); emy of Music and Drama (directing) and the The Trial of Ubu (Toneelgroep Amsterdam, National Theatre Studio (directing). In 2004 she Hampstead); Wastwater (Royal Court); I Am won the Bruce Millar Trust Award for directors. the Wind (Young Vic, 2011); T5 (Traverse); A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky (co-written IAN MACNEIL (set design) with Robert Holman and David Eldridge, Lyric Theater designs include: Afore Night Come, Hammersmith); Marine Parade (co-writtern with Vernon God Little (Young Vic); Tintin (Young Mark Eitzel, Brighton Festival); Punk Rock (Lyric Vic, Barbican, Playhouse Theatre); An Inspector Hammersmith, Royal Exchange Manchester); Calls (National, West End, Broadway); Machinal Heaven (Traverse); Seawall (Bush, Traverse); (National); Ariodante (English National Opera); Harper Regan (National); Pornography (Tricycle, Festen (Almeida, West End); In Basildon, A Birmingham Rep, Edinburgh Festival, Deutsches Number, Plasticine, Far Away (Royal Court); Via Schauspielhaus); Motortown (Royal Court); Dolorosa (Royal Court, Broadway, West End); On the Shore of the Big Wide World (Royal Billy Elliot the Musical (West End, Broadway, Exchange Manchester, National); Country Music Australia, and two US tours).