New Ibsen Company Launches With All-Female and Non-Binary Production of HEDDA GABLER

General Gabler's Theatre (GGT)-a new Seattle-based theatre company specializing in the works of Henrik Ibsen-has announced its inaugural production. GGT will present Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, translated by Eva Le Gallienne. The play runs from August 4-12, 2023 at West of Lenin in the Fremont neighborhood.

GGT was founded by Co-Artistic Directors Helen T. Mariam and Natalie Schmidt. Their production of Hedda Gabler will mark their sixth artistic collaboration. Mariam will direct an all woman and non-binary cast with Schmidt playing the title role of Hedda Gabler, a 19th-century Norwegian general's daughter who finds herself caught in an intolerable position by patriarchal gender roles and her own fear of scandal.

"This is a project I've been dreaming about for years, ever since I first read Hedda Gabler," said Schmidt. "I was immediately fascinated by Hedda's brilliant mind and the tenacity with which she fights against being trapped, and I've never been able to shake that fascination. Helen shares my fascination with the play. Over years of conversations, she's expanded and challenged my understanding of Hedda Gabler, and I am continually inspired by her vision."

An all woman and non-binary cast is a key part of that vision. Mariam added, "Outside of the arts, I've had the privilege of participating in a variety of social movements throughout the years-from prisoners rights to labor struggle. I came to realize that oppressive power in all its manifestations only has a handful of tired yet effective tactics. Hedda's ambitions are indeed stifled by sexism, and Lövborg is undone by certain patriarchal expectations placed on men. But by having all roles played by women and non-binary actors, I aim to expose what the arbitrary conferment of power and powerlessness does to people up and down any hierarchy."

About the Play:

Audiences are invited to 19th century Christiania (Oslo) to the spacious home of a woman with plenty of will but no room to exact it. She thought she made a wise deal with the man she just married. She would be his wife, and he would provide her with the safe and respectable means to occupy her active mind. But when it becomes clear that her husband can't fulfill his end of the bargain, her mind quickly turns toward the dangerous.

About the Translation:

GGT will use Broadway star Eva Le Gallienne's brilliant translation of Hedda Gabler. Ms. Le Gallienne translated the playscript from the original Norwegian with the American actor in mind. The effect is dialogue that maintains Ibsen's true meaning without being weighed down by a strict adherence to word-for-word equivalence.

The translation holds personal significance to Schmidt. "I stumbled on a biography of Eva Le Gallienne as a closeted young actor who was just starting to admit to myself that I was gay," said Schmidt. "Learning that Eva Le Gallienne was a versatile artist-producer, brilliant translator, and out-and-proud lesbian felt like a beacon saying, 'There's a place here for you too.'"

About the Artists:

In addition to Natalie Schmidt, the cast will include Carolynne Wilcox (Aunt Juliane), Rebecca Pugh Parker O'Neil (Berte), Ann Pielli (Jörgen Tesman), Danny J Hassett (Thea Elvsted), Joyce Thi Brew (Judge Brack), and Aarti Tiwari (Ejlert Lövborg).

This production will be directed by Helen T. Mariam with stage management by Bailey Dobbins and Indira Rampersad. The design team will include Garrett Dill (Scenic Design), Dani Norberg (Lighting Design), Zoé Tziotis Shields (Costume Design), Jessamyn Bateman-Iino (Props Design), and Lisa Finkral (Sound Design). An original dance piece will be choreographed by Rachel Blaze Ferguson. Amy Poisson will act as producing consultant to co-producers Helen T. Mariam and Natalie Schmidt.

Dates: August 4 - 12, 2023

Time: 7:30PM & 2:00PM

Place: West of Lenin in the Fremont neighborhood

203 N. 36th Street, Seattle, WA

Tickets: www.generaltheatre.org/hedda

Tickets go on sale June 26, 2023. Seating is limited.

All audience members must be masked.

About General Gabler's Theatre:

Helen T. Mariam is an award-winning filmmaker and freelance stage director. She was first inspired to transition from film to theatre by her love of Ibsen and a vision for Hedda Gabler that she could only realize onstage. Natalie Schmidt is an actor, playwright, soon-to-be Designated Linklater Voice Teacher, and Mariam's wife and frequent collaborator.

After collaborating on three short films and the theatre productions My Body No Choice (Radial Theater Project) and Queenfisher (The Shattered Glass Project), Mariam and Schmidt added several Ibsen plays to their production wishlist and began to explore funding opportunities. When Mariam received a grant from 4Culture in 2022 to direct Hedda Gabler with Schmidt playing the leading role, General Gabler's Theatre was born.

For more information, explore GGT's website.

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