Long Wharf Closes New Adaptation Of A DOLL'S HOUSE, 5/23

Long Wharf Theatre will close its new, contemporary adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic work A Doll's House as the final play of its 2009-10 season on March 23rd.

After years of facing financial challenges a suburban family is finally solvent again. Dad has an important new job at an investment bank, the kids are doing well and Mom, at last, is able to make a home befitting her dreams. Unfortunately their financial resurrection is built on an illusion. Dad's rise, unbeknownst to him, has been in large part illegally engineered by his wife. This world premiere adaptation casts Ibsen's beloved, visceral drama in a contemporary light.

A Doll's House continues Edelstein's exploration of the classics, carefully re-examining the plays to search for what is vibrant and current about them, a process done to great critical acclaim in his recent productions of The Glass Menagerie (which is moving to New York in the spring), The Price and Uncle Vanya, among others.

"This is one of the most famous plays of the past 200 years. What I'm going to endeavor to do is rid the play of all of its expected baggage ... This play has a lot of interesting people behaving in desperate ways. I think it is interesting to explore what drives these people. I am really going to take a look at what is contemporary about the play," Edelstein said. "This play is a lot funnier than people realize, and a lot sexier. It should be very alive and vivid. This will not be A Doll's House as you've seen it before."