One may be forgiven if a viewing of Henrik Ibsen’s controversial classic “A Doll’s House” is processed with simplicity. How could Nora just up and leave her children? What mother would do something so horrid?
Certainly, the ending of Ibsen’s 1879 narrative haunts with specificity. Not only does Nora dismiss every maternal aspect she possesses, she vehemently informs her husband Torvald he may not write, contact, or help once she disappears. “I accept nothing from strangers” Nora says icily, leading to the door slam heard round the world.
Those words today still thunder, so there is no surprise of the audience reaction when the play first landed amongst a dominant patriarchal society in the late 19th century (Ibsen penned an alternate ending, begrudgingly, to satisfy an actress in a German production, which he considered a “barbaric outrage”).
While there has undoubtedly been societal progress for women since, has there been as much as we want to believe? In Nora’s world, where a woman getting a loan in the 1800s is a major plot point, it may shock some to learn that loan acquisition for women only began in 1974. “Nora: A Doll’s House” at City Lights Theater Company, slows the notion that Nora in 1918 is all that different from Nora at 50, even 100, years later.
The production isn’t flawless, namely in the first act where Stef Smith’s thoughtful, sometimes convoluted script doesn’t always allow for maximum connection amongst the three terrific female performers to percolate, sometimes falling into stasis. While lacking some knowledge of the original source material may hinder the play’s clarity, the staccato rhythms iron out beautifully in a stunning second act that ties up every necessary loose end with scintillation.
There are three iterations of Nora that fill this narrative — one from 1918 (Roneet Aliza Rahamim), 1968 (Melissa Mei Jones) and the most modern 2018 version (Gabriella Goldstein). The power of Smith’s narrative is that, despite the 50-year gaps, not much is different for each of them, with Ron Gasparinetti’s metaphoric birdcage-like set design informing their suffocation.
Just like Ibsen’s text, it’s Christmastime, and it doesn’t take long to see how economic abuse is rampant within Nora’s marriage to Thomas (Jeffrey Bracco). Nora’s desire to provide a proper Christmas for the children makes her the recipient of a tongue lashing from Thomas, fears of crippling debt triggering every ounce of his being. This despite a new, prestigious job at the bank, which Nora hopes will get them into a much higher societal tier, one where travel isn’t simply a six-letter word.
Yet Nora’s secret loan and the misogynistic illegalities she pursued, weaponized against her by the dastardly bank employee Nathan (Kyle Dayrit), force her into a full examination of her life. Can she pursue an escape? How about finding love and passion in any form she desires? Can sinful tendencies of lust move towards a loving oasis?
The power of Smith’s script is how it asks these questions, providing enough breathing room for the audience to grasp what they can in the moment. The skills of each principal performer are the spine of the production. While Mei Jones imbues her Nora with honest fear, Rahamim’s essence makes each of Nora’s discoveries full of richness. Goldstein’s visceral arrival to her crucible pays off with a calming honesty.
The piece is directed with terrific strokes from Angie Higgins, whose aesthetically bold staging is loaded with metaphor. Yet while Higgins’ directorial intentions feel clear, the piece incorporates an extra character in the form of George Psarras’ haunting soundscape, which is omnipresent. The choice of music is soft and daring, piano that haunts in the background as the sounds of rain and devastation lock in. It’s through these sounds that the devastation, disruption and hope of the story is allowed to flourish.
“Nora: A Doll’s House” is an exciting venture because of its timeliness. Questions are asked within the confines of the women in the story, the answers clear to them, answers built from both love and rage. While there is still self-discovery to be had, the Noras figure out who they are. As each Nora states with emphatic lucidity, informed by today’s society where women’s rights are threatened, the duties and dignities of womanhood begin with humanity, and the doll wife must be destroyed. “My heart beats for me,” Nora says unapologetically.
With this newfound clarity, the next steps aren’t just steps, but missions.
Stop. Stare. Survey. Take a breath. And proceed.
David John Chávez is chair of the American Theatre Critics Association and a two-time juror for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (‘22-‘23); @davidjchavez.
‘NORA: A DOLL’S HOUSE’
Adapted by Stef Smith from Henrik Ibsen, presented by City Lights Theater Company
Through: Feb. 18
Where: City Lights Theater, 529 S. Second St., San Jose
Running time: 2 hours with an intermission
Tickets: $28-$67; cltc.org
