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St. Cloud State University
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Diversions
Ibsen takes hold of SCSU
By Adam Johnson
Published:
Thursday, April 10, 2003
Media Credit: Ryan Henry
Eli Ebb and Shireen Ghorbani perform �Hedda Gabler� Tuesday evening at the Performing Arts Center.
The walls of the Performing Arts Center are dripping with death, deceit and desperation this week, as the Theater Department presents its final Center Stage performance of the year, "Hedda Gabler."
The chamber drama, by famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, centers on a group of people unhappy with their lives and tormented by the thought of what could have been.
Featuring a cast of seven and a crew of over 30, the play was selected by Director Brenda Wentworth, who was anxious to tackle the production's difficult subject matter.
"Ibsen was the father of modern drama and one of the greatest playwrights that ever lived," Wentworth said. "I really wanted to do a play that would be challenging for the students."
Wentworth set out to produce a play that involved more than actors simply reciting their lines. The performers were required to do extensive research, both on their characters and on 19th century Norway, in which the play is set.
The theater department makes a point to produce plays from each of the major literary periods within a four-year span, to accommodate theater majors who wish to receive a well-rounded education. "Hedda Gabler" represents the late 19th century Realist movement, which Ibsen is credited as having founded.
Colin Markowitz, who portrays the character Judge Brack, found the period piece to be a real learning experience for all of the actors.
"I hadn't been in a play with this level of complexity before," Markowitz said. "We've all had to learn a lot about subtlety, and about making the lines really mean something instead of just saying them."
Though this is the first time Wentworth has been involved with this play, "Hedda Gabler" was previously presented at SCSU in 1980. Because of its stirring complexity and unsettling subject matter, Wentworth found it an irresistible story to bring back to St. Cloud audiences. Due to the depth of the characters and the dire situations they find themselves in, students can expect to experience a play of true emotions, even when the characters are lying and cheating one another.
"It isn't an easy play because it's written on so many different psychological levels," Wentworth said. "(The characters) often say the opposite of what they really mean, and they're not necessarily good people. These people have serious flaws."
In addition to witnessing the young, burgeoning talent, Markowitz believes that audiences will find the story well worth their investment.
"People will walk away having seen something that really makes them think about why they do the things they do, and how people relate to one another," Markowitz said. Considered shocking at the time it was written, the story's themes of manipulation, morality and the willingness to do things "people don't do" still resonate today.
"A lot happens to these people in a very short time," Wentworth said. "It's a very emotional play."
The play runs through Saturday this week at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Admission is $15 for adults, and $10 for children and seniors. University students are admitted free with an SCSU ID.
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