In 1879, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House would be staged. Following the story of Nora Helmer, Ibsen’s piece would dramatically question the role of women in society at the time. It wasn’t until a burgeoning consciousness in the years prior and after Ibsen’s play that single women could be employed (albeit under the presence of a guardian). Still, married women could not participate in free enterprise, and were subservient to their husbands, and until a certain age, their guardians.
Ibsen’s House would bring these injustices to the forefront of the play, with Nora deciding to leave Torvald, her husband, and her three children. This leaving is not unfounded; Nora and Torvald come to terms with the fact that their marriage has not been fulfilling or wholly honest.
This (at the time) radical play dared to tell the world that women have autonomy and agency. As a feminist myself, we as a society have come a long way, but there is a lot longer to go.
A Doll’s House, Part 2, written by Lucas Hnath in 2017, sees Nora and Torvald 15 years after the original. Nora is now a successful writer but is forced to return to the house she left after her writing influences other women to leave their husbands. Learning that Torvald never filed the divorce, Nora must confront the man, nanny, and daughter she left behind.
Your Theatre Inc.’s production of Part 2 sees Fairhaven partners Caroline and Eric Paradis as Nora and Torvald, respectfully. In fact, the Paradis actually played their original roles back when Your Theatre staged the original Ibsen piece. Anne Marie, the nanny, is played by Lucy Bly, and Emmy, the daughter, is played by Kayla Ribeiro. This staging was directed by James Sanguinetti and stage managed by Eva Watts-Pine.
At the time of writing, Part 2 is 4 performances into its 8-show run; one on Friday, January 26, 2 on Saturday the 27th, and one on Sunday the 28th.
All of the actors in this show deserve great praise for their performances. Both Paradis excelled in their roles as Nora and Torvald, not letting their real-life relationship shape the motivations of the characters. Caroline’s portrayal of Nora as a feminist icon, whose writing has influenced other women to follow in her footsteps is earnest, compared to Eric’s almost resentful portrayal of Torvald.
Caroline’s performance, to me, was spot on. Culminating in a last fight with Torvald, Caroline played Nora with agency, class, and resourcefulness. Eric’s Torvald was somewhat brooding, and his performance needs to be commended. How do you go about playing such a role? Take notes, future Torvalds. Kayla Ribeiro’s Emmy, Nora’s daughter whose views do not align with her mother’s, is also a focal point, with Ribeiro’s almost natural ability to take on the role of Emmy. Lucy Bly’s Anne Marie is steadfast and poignant, offering some of the shows only swears.
I need to give a shout-out to Mark Fuller, costume designer. Creating Nora’s 2 dresses, Fuller’s costuming was outstanding. I heard audible gasps at the beginning of Act 2 when Nora appeared onstage. Sanguinetti’s decision to use a “thrust” stage for this performance was hit-or-miss. As I sat on the edge of the stage, I was given some great tableaus to feast my eyes on. However, there were some points where I just had the backs of the actors to me, and sometimes it took away from the intended profoundness of key lines.
Speaking of the script, I would like to praise the actors for tolerating some of the line choices. Hnath’s script is not a traditional script, with lines written almost like stanzas in a poem. Although it creates a wonderful flow between characters and dialogue, I felt that a lot of the lines were redundant. We know Nora left 15 years ago. We know what she thinks will happen 20 to 30 years from now. We know she left 15 years ago.
I would definitely recommend this show for those looking for a serious drama in New Bedford. Comedies are easy to come by, but a well-acted, well-staged drama is few and far between.
A Doll’s House, Part 2 has 4 more performances left from January 26-28. For showtimes and tickets, visit Your Theatre’s homepage.
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