KCAT Announces Cast And Crew Of A DOLL'S HOUSE

Kansas City Actors Theatre has completed casting for its production of Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House," which will run from August 7 to August 25, 2019 at the City Stage in Union Station. The production will be adapted and directed by Darren Sextro, who recently directed "Skylight" and "My Old Lady" for Kansas City Actors Theatre. This production will feature Hillary Clemens, Todd Lanker, Christina Schafer, Tyler Alan Rowe, Brian Paulette, Carla Noack, Aria Smith, and Drew Squire. The production will also feature set design by Kelli Harrod, costumes by Sarah M. Oliver, lighting design by Shane Rowse, sound design by David Kiehl, properties design by Bill Christie, and technical direction by Kyle Dyck.

"A Doll's House" catches a pivotal moment in the lives of Nora and Torvald Helmer while challenging the idea of nineteenth-centruy gender roles of a traditional marriage. Money and blackmail threaten the family in this story of a woman trying to find her place as a decision-making individual among the dutiful roles of wife and mother. A controversy when it was first produced in 1879, the play nevertheless achieved international success. "A Doll's House" is now regarded as an early example of realism in theatrical storytelling and a masterpiece that established Henrik Ibsen as one of the most influential playwrights in history.

"Kansas City Actors Theatre has wanted to produce an Ibsen play for a long time," says director Darren Sextro. "Ibsen was a benchmark playwright, arguably a first in bringing modernism to theatrical storytelling. With 'A Doll's House,' he told a story that was so unsettling that other producers felt the need to change the story's ending."

The alteration to the ending of Ibsen's play came after its premiere in Copenhagen in 1879 when German producers concluded that Nora's story needed a conclusion that was more socially appropriate for the time. Ibsen later described this alteration as a "barbaric outrage." The original script was produced onstage in America in 1883 and opened on Broadway in 1889. Since then, it has been revived on Broadway, most recently in 1997 at the Belasco Theatre, where that production was awarded numerous Tony awards including Best Revival of a Play, Best Direction, and Best Leading Actress.

"What I didn't expect, before digging into the text," continues Sextro, "was how much heart Ibsen had woven throughout the psychological gamesmanship between Nora and the men standing between her and her ability to stand on her own."

Following Kansas City Actors Theatre's production of "A Doll's House," Sextro will also direct Lucas Hnath's contemporary follow-up of Ibsen's renowned play, "A Doll's House, Part 2," which will have its regional premiere at the Unicorn Theatre this fall from October 16 - November 10.

Kansas City Actors Theatre's production of "A Doll's House" will be presented at the City Stage in Union Station from August 7 to 25. Previews will start on Wednesday, August 7 with opening night on Saturday, August 10. Audience talkbacks will follow performances on Sunday, August 11; Wednesday, August 14; and Friday, August 23.

Tickets for "A Doll's House" are available by contacting the Central Ticket Office at 816-235-6222 or online at http://www.kcactors.org/shows/a-dolls-house/.

In addition to "A Doll's House," Kansas City Actors Theatre's 15th Season will include "'Master Harold'... and the Boys" by Athol Fugard in September, and "'night, Mother" by Marsha Norman in January. Season subscriptions are available online at http://www.kcactors.org/season-15/ or by calling the Central Ticket Office at 816-235-6222.

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