NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifeFaculty/StaffAlumniAdvancementService
Darlington Players to present “Hedda Gabler”
Sep 9, 2005 8:51 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
The Darlington Players will present Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” Friday through Sunday, Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, in Zelle Fine Arts Center.
Living in a world where women are forced into subordination, the title character – the strong, yet tormented Hedda (played by junior Caitlin Murray) – is fascinated by people and tries to live vicariously through the men in her life. Her self-proclaimed talent is boring herself to death; thus, she looks for amusement in others.
“Hedda Gabler is not a nice woman, and Ibsen’s famous play will not be the feel-good hit of the year,” said Director David Powell. “What it will be is a fascinating, intense exploration of a powerful woman in a powerless situation.”
Powell describes Hedda as smart, glamorous and iron-willed, yet out of control, relentless and self-loathing.
“She loves having secrets and she loves manipulating people. The best part of this production is trying to get inside her mind,” said Murray. “It is really interesting to put myself in a place where I have so many different thoughts in my head. There are layers of this play that I have yet to uncover, and it is mind-blowing to see how relationships develop between myself and the other players every day.”
The daughter of an impoverished general, Hedda has just returned from her honeymoon with George Tesman (played by junior Ben Pate), an aspiring young academic. It becomes clear through the course of the play that she has never loved him, and she fears she may be pregnant. The reappearance of her former lover, Eilert Lovborg (played by junior Andrew Smith) throws their lives into disarray.
“George Tesman is an academic. He is a very nice man, but also is very protective of what he loves,” said Pate. “This is not your normal, happy play, or even dark play. It’s very different from anything I have seen. I hope the audience sees how much work the cast and crew have put into this production and walk away with a whole new respect for The Darlington Players.”
According to Powell, The Darlington Players have taken Hedda Gabler out of her original nineteenth century setting and made her contemporary – the original desperate housewife. “Moreover, we have taken liberties with the structure of the play – playing the ending first, then starting over,” he said. “This, we hope, will help our audience explore the psychology of why Hedda does what she does, rather than just being shocked by her behavior.”
Murray calls the characters fascinating, yet uncomfortable because “we can see so much of ourselves in them as far as their emotions, if not actions, are concerned,” she said. “I hope that the audience can see the ties to their own lives, yet, at the same time, appreciate what a ridiculous world we live in.”
Friday’s show is at 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday shows are at 8 p.m. Admission is free for current students, faculty and Fine Arts Booster Club patrons and $5 for others. Seating is limited.
Living in a world where women are forced into subordination, the title character – the strong, yet tormented Hedda (played by junior Caitlin Murray) – is fascinated by people and tries to live vicariously through the men in her life. Her self-proclaimed talent is boring herself to death; thus, she looks for amusement in others.
“Hedda Gabler is not a nice woman, and Ibsen’s famous play will not be the feel-good hit of the year,” said Director David Powell. “What it will be is a fascinating, intense exploration of a powerful woman in a powerless situation.”
Powell describes Hedda as smart, glamorous and iron-willed, yet out of control, relentless and self-loathing.
“She loves having secrets and she loves manipulating people. The best part of this production is trying to get inside her mind,” said Murray. “It is really interesting to put myself in a place where I have so many different thoughts in my head. There are layers of this play that I have yet to uncover, and it is mind-blowing to see how relationships develop between myself and the other players every day.”
The daughter of an impoverished general, Hedda has just returned from her honeymoon with George Tesman (played by junior Ben Pate), an aspiring young academic. It becomes clear through the course of the play that she has never loved him, and she fears she may be pregnant. The reappearance of her former lover, Eilert Lovborg (played by junior Andrew Smith) throws their lives into disarray.
“George Tesman is an academic. He is a very nice man, but also is very protective of what he loves,” said Pate. “This is not your normal, happy play, or even dark play. It’s very different from anything I have seen. I hope the audience sees how much work the cast and crew have put into this production and walk away with a whole new respect for The Darlington Players.”
According to Powell, The Darlington Players have taken Hedda Gabler out of her original nineteenth century setting and made her contemporary – the original desperate housewife. “Moreover, we have taken liberties with the structure of the play – playing the ending first, then starting over,” he said. “This, we hope, will help our audience explore the psychology of why Hedda does what she does, rather than just being shocked by her behavior.”
Murray calls the characters fascinating, yet uncomfortable because “we can see so much of ourselves in them as far as their emotions, if not actions, are concerned,” she said. “I hope that the audience can see the ties to their own lives, yet, at the same time, appreciate what a ridiculous world we live in.”
Friday’s show is at 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday shows are at 8 p.m. Admission is free for current students, faculty and Fine Arts Booster Club patrons and $5 for others. Seating is limited.
