BWW Reviews: Excellent, Intense HEDDA GABLER Captivates at The Gamm

Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler is one of the cornerstone works in the modern theatrical canon. The titular Hedda both intrigues and frustrates, and her story has been produced and reproduced for over a century as artists and audiences continue to grapple with its complex, complicated leading lady.

The play begins the morning after the newlywed Hedda and her husband, George Tesman, return home from their four-month honeymoon trip. Though George is a kind and doting man, clearly besotted with his young bride, Hedda already shows signs of discontent in her domestic circumstances.

At first blush, Hedda simply seems spoiled: she finds George's academic pursuits tedious and dull, she balks when temporary financial concerns require small economies in the household, and she spends her days in idle pursuits while complaining of boredom. When combined with Hedda's later deliberate, mean-spirited manipulations of the other characters, this unbecoming petulance could easily position her as an abrasive bully, a master mixer who maliciously interferes in others' lives for her own amusement.

Yet the Gamm's Artistic Director, Tony Estrella, challenges theatergoers to take a fresh look at Hedda through his new adaptation of Ibsen's celebrated work. Estrella's reading delves more deeply into Hedda's perspective, which grants immediacy and relevance to the narrative's unfolding events. The Gamm's production is sharp and smart, a beautifully-paced and thoroughly-absorbing theatrical experience.

Marianna Bassham is tasked with bringing Hedda's complexities to life, and she delivers a masterful performance in the title role. While her Hedda is still prone to pranks and cattiness, Bassham wields these childish antics as defensive weapons in her character's arsenal. Indeed, the cracks in Hedda's brazen, blustery façade are what come through most clearly in this production. Hedda's destructive, goading actions seem fed by her growing weariness and obvious depression. There are some early moments when she seems to genuinely regret a harsh word spoken in haste, and as Hedda's mental state becomes more and more unstable, her most desperate behaviors manifest her rapid psychological decline rather than stemming from simple cruelty or recklessness.

Bassham incorporates wonderful touches - nearly-imperceptible trembling, impatient and restless gestures, unsteadiness in her voice - to establish and then gradually progress Hedda's fragile state of mind, but she also well interprets the quick humor, coquettish banter, and wry, sparking wit that made Hedda the belle of the county. In addition, Hedda's ongoing battle to remember her housekeeper's name provides Bassham with some truly charming and comedic material.

Joe Short gives a fine portrayal as the newly-minted Ph.D., George Tesman. Short inhabits Tesman's dream of domestic bliss, bringing a head-in-the-clouds lightness to each of his interactions with Bassham's Hedda. In addition, he captures the earnest awkwardness of Tesman's stifled academic persona, giving appropriate over-enthusiasm to Tesman's driest speeches.

Marya Lowry is sweetly doting as "Auntie Julie," grand in her bearing and warm-hearted in her mannerisms. Her motherly gestures toward Tesman, Hedda, and even Berta feel genuine in every scene. In contrast, Jim O'Brien allows the pseudo-paternal Judge Brack the slightest edge of menace right from the very start. Brack's too-free (but initially harmless) banter with Hedda is sharply delivered, and O'Brien gains new levels of smarminess when the judge's inappropriate attentions turn more serious.

As Hedda's former schoolfellow, Thea Elvsted, Karen Carpenter strikes the right balance between sweetness and strength. She easily depicts Thea's uncertainty and shyness, but also imbues her character with convincing passion and determination. Alexander Platt takes the stage as the troubled Eilert Lovborg, Hedda's one-time suitor and Thea's current sweetheart. Platt gives a memorable performance, bringing Lovborg from the calm-yet-fraying edges of his sobriety to utter despondence and destruction.

Katie Travers is excellent as the wholeheartedly-invested family housekeeper, Berta. Travers very often steals the scene with her laugh-out-loud facial expressions and amusingly-emotional outbursts.

David T. Howard deserves a standing ovation for his magnificent costume design. Each of the garments in Hedda Gabler feels authentically true-to-period and is crafted with meticulous attention to detail. The ladies' gowns, in particular, are works of art, with glittering accents and frothy lace placed perfectly to accentuate the actors' movements. On the whole, the outfits seem entirely suited to the individual characters' personalities and stations in life, as if they were indeed pieces from their own wardrobes rather than costumes donned for the stage.

Michael McGarty's set design earns high marks for its subtle mirroring of Hedda's psychological state. The Tesmans have only just moved into their new home, so some bare boards and unfinished surfaces are in keeping with the plotline; however, McGarty uses the framework of the newlyweds' home to indirectly suggest a kind of prison, with wooden beams forming bars and barriers all around Hedda. The couple's lack of furniture is explained in the narrative, but the stacks and stacks of luggage encroaching on the living space also mimic Hedda's unsettled state of mind. The spare setting ensures that the most important prop pieces - the woodstove, the case of dueling pistols, the imposing portrait of General Gabler, Hedda's beloved piano - stand out starkly at key moments without appearing too forward or out of place when they are not in play.

Hedda Gabler runs at the Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket, RI through November 30, 2014. Ticket prices range from $41 to $49. Discount rates are available for subscribers, groups, seniors and students. To purchase tickets, contact the box office at (401) 723-4266 or visit The Gamm online at www.gammtheatre.org.

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Photo by Peter Goldberg

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