Ok so. When watching A Doll’s House, I know there was a lot of conflicting opinions. A lot of the play had become very modernized, and the script had changed quite a bit. There were also some major plot points that were taken away from the original, such as a Nora’s situation with her father.
This being said, I overall really enjoyed the play. As Shawn Irish said, this was a very digestible and accessible version of the play specific to a modern audience. I thought that while the message was conveyed differently, it was still conveyed.
When it comes to the actually presentation, in regards Nora’s “caged bird” trope, I feel like the acting the most effective feature. When it came to the set, it actually felt very spacious and open, rather than a direct approach of a very small set and claustrophobic space. However, one main thing that was rather effective, was the the location did not leave the house. I think this was also due to the playwright and how the story was written. The director probably played a bit more a role in the message than the designer, as there were very little set pieces and props. However, I did not notice too many directorial or design features that contributed to the message, despite a few that will be mentioned momentarily.
One thing that I think really did contribute a lot to the story was song and sound choice. Specifically, there were two moments when sound was used. At one point throughout the play, Nora is holding a baby monitor, while things are moving around her. This of course was probably a directorial choice, and used to convery the feeling of stillness and inability to move freely, but the main standout was the music in the background. At first, I was very confused by this choice, but as the song went on I realized that the music was quite disturbing. I was able to feel the feeling of stress and discomfort that Nora probably felt in that moment. Another time where music was used was a dance scene. I will say, that adding the addition of a dance segment was probably more a directorial choice, but Nora’s dancing and presentation, along with the sound being congruent to Nora’s relationship, had a very unsettling impact and truly showed Nora’s nature of believing the only way she is valuable is through sexual appeal.
Overall, good ass show. I really liked it, and while I know a lot of my peers had criticisms surrounding it, I truly could not stop defending it, and certainly cannot stop thinking about it.
Also, Torvalds actor was amazing.
– Lucinda “Da Realest” Eells
Theatre in London U of A 