Hedda Gabler

What I liked

Conor Murphy as Judge Brack clearly seems the most in-tune with his character, and he brings a confident smarminess to a role that manages to keep us guessing, even if we know the text. This Judge Brack looks like he enjoys the occasional coke-fueled night on the backstreets, and it works. Additionally, as Thea, Palmyra Mattner delivers on the quiet desperation of the character, while also mining her for some much needed comedy, at times. It’s when these actors are on stage that the piece reaches its full potential. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Marti Skoler as “Berte”. While her character is given a significance here that doesn’t really make much sense (especially if you realize what Ibsen was getting at with this piece), she is constantly watchable, to our benefit and the play’s occasional distracting chagrin.

What I didn't like

This set design is more distracting than anything else. I’m all about scaling down and exploring new ways of staging a piece, but there was nothing new about this, nothing revelatory. It felt like staging decisions were made ‘just because’ with very little thought put into the ‘why’. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should, and some pieces are just not pre-ordained for any amount of whimsy. It’s like staging a production of “A Long Day’s Journey Into Night” and having it take place in a corral full of kittens. Sure, it COULD happen, but…

Not all of the performances are to the same quality. A perfect example of actors taking on roles that don’t work for them physically, mentally, or emotionally. I do not blame the actors. While there are no ‘bad’ performances, per se, there are a few that just don’t fit with the rest of the cast. It happens. Murphy and Mattner are the major exceptions, and that’s the level that should be the baseline.

My overall impression

Did we really need another revival of an adaptation of an Ibsen piece? Possibly, if that piece could make any case for its relevance and need to exist. Revivals usually come about because someone has a fresh new take on the material. This HEDDA does not have that. It feels as if it were directed by someone who has never read the piece, or someone who is so obsessed with it that they’ve lost the ability to see the forest for the trees. So, if you’re an Ibsen fan, absolutely check this out, agree or disagree with me, and you’ll get your money’s worth. If you’re not an Ibsen fan, this won’t convert you. And, frankly, I’d rather someone experience Ibsen in his purest form for the first time, rather than an adaptation. Overall, I tip the scales in a positive direction, but don’t expect perfection. As in the case with the elevation of the Berte character, sometimes flaws can be the juiciest part.