Confession of an embarrassed theatre major: I haven’t read Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. That is, until I saw that the Segal Centre was doing A Doll’s House Part 2 by Lucas Hnath, which I’d remembered from its 2017 Broadway run after it had received eight Tony nominations.
So I buckled down and finally read it, and without going into too much detail, it was pretty much what I had expected: somewhat of a dull plot (not a big naturalism fan) but with a fantastic final act. I knew the ending, of course; it’s not a spoiler alert when I say it ends with Nora leaving her husband, Torvald.
And so I went in properly prepared, and left with quite a lot of thoughts about the show.
I want to begin by saying that I was thoroughly entertained. The show doesn’t lag, it is peppered with humour, the simplicity of the staging – a room empty but for two chairs – is compelling.
But mostly I left asking myself, Why this play? Why put it on today? What is the point?
I’ve come to the conclusion that the main problem with this production is that it’s just not a particularly good play. Let’s start with plot: fifteen years after leaving her husband, Nora returns to her old house. She’s done quite well – she’s become a successful novelist, though a controversial one, writing books about liberated women who leave their husbands. The problem, exactly as in the original, is that she has unknowingly, accidentally committed fraud. Thinking that she and Torvald are divorced, she signed contracts without his permission, which is illegal if she’s married. She is at risk of having her life destroyed because of this, so she returns home to demand a divorce from Torvald.
Only, Torvald is still resentful toward her for leaving him, and refuses.
That’s the general premise. Throughout the play, she pleads with the old housekeeper to help her convince Torvald, meets with her grown-up daughter for the same reason, and argues with Torvald, ending in a hilarious climactic scene.
It is so bizarre for me to say that Oliver Becker’s Torvald is the best part of the play, when he’s (I can somewhat confidently say) the most hated character in the original. Becker had the entire audience rocking in their seats from laughter. Meanwhile, Sarah Constible’s Nora grew on me throughout the play, her inflated, unbridled emotions contrasting with her daughter Emmy’s (played by Ellie Moon) restrained nature. It had a superbly strong cast, with strong direction by Caitlin Murphy, this play being her professional debut as a director. The set departs from the realism of Iben’s A Doll’s House, aesthetically juxtaposed with the gorgeous period costumes. Overall, a strong production. But I can’t quite keep myself from coming back to the play itself.
The play asks all the right questions that the original play left ambiguous: What happened to Nora after she left? What happened to her motherless kids? How did Torvald explain Nora’s disappearance without humiliating himself?
But is that enough justification to warrant an entire play about it? My main issue here is that this play doesn’t say anything new. Where Ibsen’s play was controversial in its time for depicting an independent woman, this one fails to do that. Today there is very little that is controversial about a woman freed of her husband’s bonds, even if she is openly anti-marriage. On this topic, the play doesn’t take a particular position – instead focusing on the nuance of personal relationships, which is maybe better than a set doctrine. Still, I’m having a hard time understanding why this play is relevant today. It’s such a recent piece, but I don’t see the justification for producing it – other than the fact that it’s a safe show to produce (the connection with Ibsen guarantees audience interest and attendance).
My theatregoing companion and I eventually came to the conclusion that the things that this play is trying to do – especially in terms of making Torvald a more nuanced, sympathetic character – could simply be achieved in a well-directed production of A Doll’s House. This play has little other justification for existing and being worthwhile to produce.
It’s an enjoyable production. It’s worth seeing. It’s just not quite worth thinking about too hard.
A Doll’s House Part 2 will be playing through to December 9 at the Segal Centre. Tickets are $55 general admission, $52 for seniors, $30 for under 30, and $25 for students.
Scripteditty 