New Rep's 'Dollhouse' Solidly Constructed

Dollhouse

Written by Theresa Rebeck, Directed by Bridget Kathleen O'Leary; Scenic Design, Kathryn Kawecki; Costume Design, Rafael Jaen; Lighting Design, Chris Brusberg; Sound Design, Scott Nason; Properties Supervisor, Julie Tidemand; Production Stage Manager, Victoria S. Coady

CAST: Diego Arciniegas, Damien; Jennie Israel, Christine; Gabriel Kuttner, Neil; Will Lyman, Evan; Sarah Newhouse, Nora; Claudia Q. Nolan, Emma; Julian Schepis, Bob; Cheryl D. Singleton, Julianna

Performances through March 20 at New Repertory Theatre; Box Office 617-923-8487 or www.newrep.org

On December 21, 1879, Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House premiered at the Royal Theatre of Copenhagen to mixed reviews. There were those critics who found it unconscionable that Nora Helmer left her husband and children so she could go off to become "a human being," while others considered it her duty to escape the oppressive, egotistic Torvald who failed to understand her value as a human being. The play reportedly sent shockwaves through the Danish audiences of the time and they left the theatre arguing and excited. 

Name a playwright who would not be ecstatic for their work to generate so much lively debate, especially if one subscribes to the axiom that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Perhaps more telling is the fact that Ibsen's play continues to be produced and adapted - and debated - well over a century later. In line with its mission to "produce plays that speak powerfully to the essential ideas of our times," New Repertory Theatre is presenting Theresa Rebeck's 2001 contemporary adaptation Dollhouse, which moves the setting from 19^th century Norway to present day suburban Connecticut.  

By updating the location and plot, Rebeck makes the story more accessible as the characters look and behave in ways that are familiar to a modern audience. However, she has drawn from Ibsen's deep well to craft a script that is thematically rich, its themes both timely and compelling. In fact, it is somewhat disheartening to see how recognizable these themes remain in 2011 when 132 years have passed since the play debuted. Further heightening the drama, the economic realities and disclosure of fraudulent financial practices of the past several years inform our understanding of the pressures facing the Helmer family in their stately McMansion, as well as the other key characters who hope to benefit from their fiscal largesse.

After all, money, or materialism, is one of the most important themes in Dollhouse and frames nearly every conversation between Nora (Sarah Newhouse) and her husband (Will Lyman), renamed Evan by Rebeck. Whether they are discussing her Christmas shopping, his new job overseeing a major banking institution, or their social obligations, everything comes down to money and appearances. They don't see eye to eye, but Nora defers (at least verbally) to Evan as breadwinner and head of household, although you can see her internal wheels turning as she tries to figure out how to "manage" him.

Another central theme is happiness and, although it would appear to be tied to how much money one has - the  "haves" are happy, the "have nots" not so much - the moral of the story hinges on weightier issues like honesty, integrity, unconditional love, and friendship. Nora races like a rat on a wheel to maintain her happy home and affluent lifestyle, only to see it endangered when Neil Fitzpatrick (Gabriel Kuttner) shows up threatening to reveal the secret they share unless she convinces Evan to give him a job. Coincidentally, Nora's high school friend Christine (Jennie Israel) reenters her life with a similar request, but under very different circumstances.

After a brush with serious illness, Evan is on the brink of starting his job and all-consumed with self-importance. He is not only the CEO in waiting at the bank, he postures as the CEO of the household, treating Nora like an accessory or asset, but rarely like a person, let alone an equal partner. After he agrees to hire Christine as his assistant, her status as his underling makes him think nothing of telling Nora that they can no longer be friends. The only one Evan treats differently is his friend and racquetball partner Damien (Diego Arcineigas), despite his awareness that Damien has feelings for Nora. In fact, Evan takes pride in knowing that other men are attracted to his wife, as if that increases her value in his life and somehow raises his stature.

For her part, Nora's self-worth is related to her beauty and popularity, for that is how she has made her way in the world. She has her share of less than admirable traits - vanity, frivolousness, lack of frugality, lying, embezzling - to name more than a few. However, on the whole, these traits reflect her extremely immature character, a grown-up child who never had to stand on her own two feet and could simply continue to behave as she always has, with the expectation that her husband, or her father before him, would rescue her. When the moment of truth finally arrives in Dollhouse, it is Nora's certainty in Evan's character that gives her the nerve to come clean, albeit reluctantly.  

Lyman is the perfect choice for the role of the fatherly, straight arrow narcissist, whose physical relationship with his wife is often perfunctory, like reading the mail or greeting his children. He repeatedly tells her not to worry about things, that he'll take care of everything, but he never really listens to what she's trying to say. When her past unlawful behavior comes to light, he violently erupts and attempts to banish her in order to distance himself from her actions and salvage whatever he can of his career. After consistently making everything be about him, Evan sharply changes course to insist that Nora will not make this be about him. In a matter of minutes onstage, Lyman goes from zero to sixty and back, taking the audience and Nora on one hell of a ride.  

Newhouse convinces us to accept the idea that Nora would do a 180 degree turn after the watershed argument with Evan; that while it may have been out of character for her over the past ten years, or in any of the scenes leading up to that moment, it is no longer the case because we see the switch flipped in Newhouse's expression and body language. Her transformation has been a process of erosion, like water dripping on a stone, and the fissure finally splits wide open in a riveting denouement. Director Bridget Kathleen O'Leary skillfully builds the drama throughout the play to reach this pinnacle and credibly shows that no other outcome would be possible.   

If Newhouse and Lyman were the only two players onstage, it would still be a great show. Instead, New Rep provides an embarrassment of riches with the supporting cast of Arciniegas, Israel, and Kuttner, each of whom infuses their character with a balance of gravitas and humanity while also raising important questions that pertain to the actions of Nora and Evan. Cheryl D. Singleton has limited stage time but manages to convey the nanny Julianna's dignity and acceptance of her place in the family. The Helmer children (Claudia Q. Nolan and Julian Schepis) are barely seen or heard and are mostly extraneous other than in the abstract.

Kathryn Kawecki has designed a smartly decorated set, with slate floor, mustard and black walls, a fancy chandelier, trendy furnishings, art work, and a generous dose of Christmas trimmings. Lighting design by Chris Brusberg provides the warmth that does not exist within the family relationships. Rafael Jaen's costumes convey Nora's emphasis on style, Evan's master of the universe persona, and Christine's fall on hard times. Most of the clothes are neutral earth tones, with only the children and Julianna showing up in bright colors.  

The comfortable external trappings in the house that Evan built for Nora call attention to the fact that they are trapped in a hollow world of make believe, where happiness is an illusion. Nora strives to be the person Evan wants her to be until she discovers that he is not the man she always thought he was. Despite her disillusionment, it frees her to start searching for herself and leave the dollhouse behind with an optimism she has never known.

 

Photo by Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures (Sarah Newhouse, Will Lyman)

 

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