Interview: Jana Mestecky of A DOLL'S HOUSE with Crescent City Stage

From L to R Rachel Whitman Groves, Sue Jin Song, Doug Spearman, Elizabeth Newcomer, Michael A. Newcomer, Douglas Scott Streater. Photo credit: Craig Mulcahy

Crescent City Stage is bringing a contemporary take on a theatrical classic to life with its current production of A DOLL' S HOUSE, adapted by playwright Amy Herzog. Known for her character-driven storytelling, Herzog reimagines Henrik Ibsen's 19th-century masterpiece for today's audiences, offering a fresh yet faithful interpretation of this enduring exploration of love, identity and liberation.

In Herzog's A DOLL'S HOUSE, the iconic story of Nora Helmer's awakening is told through a contemporary lens, making the play's examination of gender roles, marital expectations and personal freedom more resonant for today's audiences. While staying true to the structure and heart of Ibsen's original work, Herzog's version emphasizes Nora's emotional complexities as she grapples with her position as a wife and mother within a restrictive domestic environment, culminating in the shocking climax that rocked 19th-century society and continues to provoke strong reactions today.

BroadwayWorld.com sat down with Crescent City Stage co-founder and A DOLL'S HOUSE director Jana Mestecky to talk about this poignant and thought-provoking piece of theatre, and how this adaptation aligns with the company's mission to spark conversation and challenge perspectives.

BroadwayWorld.com: Can you tell me what drew you to direct A Doll’s House?

Mestecky: Like most theatre people, we’ve read this version at one point in our lives, and it was always a play I was fascinated by just because of the themes, the characters and the story. When Amy Herzog came up with the new version, it was especially exciting to see what that story could look like in a more modern context. And so that’s initially what drew me to it; I think it’s also a timely play right now [with] the challenges that women are facing currently, so that was another reason I was especially drawn to it at this time.

BWW: To be transparent, I know of this adaptation, but I don’t know much about what makes it contemporary. Can you dive into that a bit?

Mestecky: The story is still the same. It’s the same story with the same characters...it’s a fast-moving piece; it’s more open. The language might not be as dense, which [makes it] accessible to modern audiences; it’s a little more streamlined. It’s very sparse. So, you will see that the actors are the beating heart of this production. It doesn’t rely much on spectacle in terms of what you would expect to see with a period drama in terms of costumes, props, sets and all of that. This is a very stripped-down version of the play; we’re looking at the same themes, but the story has not changed.

BWW: So, one could say it’s a modern approach while still staying true to the core theme of Ibsen’s original A DOLL’S HOUSE.

Mestecky: Yes, that is a very well-stated way to say it.

BWW: What challenges or opportunities have you encountered in bringing this play to life?

Mestecky: Well, I think those are one and the same. The challenge and the opportunity is that you are not relying on a whole lot of visual distractions with this play. Because of the staging and the spare approach to it, it really is about the relationships between these characters. Actors are absolutely the focus of this production, so there’s not a lot of distraction by way of extravagant sets and costumes. So, the challenge is that you have to feel grounded in the work that you’re doing on a performance level, and the opportunity is that you’re grounded in the performance that you’re giving. And so, my job in this particular context of directing this version of the play is to make sure the whole creative team, from designers to production to actors, are all focused on telling this story in such a way that the audience is drawn into the relationships and the conflict that is ever-present in the story that Ibsen has written.

BWW: So without the big, extravagant period set one thinks of when thinking of Ibsen, does the spare design contribute to the narrative overall?

Mestecky: Yes, I believe so. As does the costume [design]. We have expressionistic lighting, I would say, that will highlight certain poignant moments of the show. And the sound design obviously contributes in a meaningful way to the story we’re trying to tell. But it really is about watching these actors play on stage.

BWW: How did you approach casting the production? Were there particular qualities you were looking for in your actors?

Mestecky: You’ll notice the ages of the cast. There are not many young roles. At Crescent City Stage, we’re always looking to cast professionals; we’re always looking to cast actors with experience; we’re looking to cast actors with the maturity and depth to be comfortable primarily relying on what they bring to the stage and their ability to relate to another person they’re performing with. There is a confidence that’s necessary and an experience that’s necessary to be able to do that effectively. And so, in casting, I was looking for seasoned actors who would rise to that challenge and that opportunity as well.

BWW: How has the rehearsal process been?

Mestecky: Sometimes with a play of this magnitude, you’re looking at what would be typically on an off-Broadway contract, you’re looking at a six-week rehearsal period or such. We did not have that much time, so the rehearsal process felt like it flew by. We spent a good amount of time on table work, scene work and obviously blocking to tech, so it was another reason I needed actors who didn’t need to be taught but knew intrinsically how to put themselves in this kind of process, which was really important.

BWW: Are there any specific scenes or moments in the play that you find particularly powerful or important?

Mestecky: Well, of course, it’s like picking my children. Because I think we have a stellar cast, it’s hard to make that choice. I can say that in the original version and then in this version, I think audiences will find the last scene particularly powerful. It’s a real glimpse into marriage; it’s a real glimpse into those big emotions that make classics classic. Fear, control, betrayal and love are all of those big feelings we have, and I think the last scene takes us on a big rollercoaster through all of them.

BWW: How does this production fit into your overall body of work and artistic goals with Crescent City Stage?

Mestecky: Our mission is that we lean into works that challenge us, ask questions and engage in robust conversation. We are always choosing plays that we hope make our audiences think and that they will leave with questions. If you look at our body of work as a company, that is what we try to do, and I think this play fits in beautifully with that mission, especially at this time.

BWW: What message or emotions do you hope the audience will take away from this production?

Mestecky: I hope, as with everything that we do, that when you leave, you might question your perspective in seeing some of these characters and how their relationships and circumstances play out. That’s what good theatre does for me; I don’t always just leave it at the door. I’m thinking of it long after the performance is over. So that’s my big hope, that audiences will see something of themselves up there, and then we will all start to ask ourselves questions.

Crescent City Stage's A DOLL HOUSE will run through September 22.

Lagniappe Programming

Friday, September 13, 2024 - Ladies Night & Friday September 20, 2024 - Date Night
(both performances with a pre-show cash bar on the mezzanine at the theatre.)

Crescent City Stage will host a post-show “Women & Theatre” Conversation following the Sunday September 15, 2024 2:30pm performance. Featuring Mariska Morse, one of the co-founders of Salon22, and Jenny Mercein, Assistant Professor at Tulane University in the Department of Theatre & Dance.

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