WHAT: A Doll’s House, Part 2
WHERE: a Threshold Stage Company production at Star Theatre at the Kittery Community Center
BLURB: The Scandal Continues
HIGH POINT: Just a juicy little story, well told
Nice to drop in on old friends - see how life's treated them. It's all the more a delight when it's the Helmer family from Henrik Ibsen's 1879 play A Doll House.
Welcome to A Doll's House Part 2, an update on the family, penned by Lucas Hnath, 138 years after the original.
Ibsen's play tells the story of the wealthy Helmers, and the relationship between wife Nora and husband Torvald, and the traditional expectations of the men and women of the time.
The original "Doll" ends with Nora, who feels stifled by her marriage, walking out on her family. What she wanted more than anything was independence.
When Nora departs, she leaves behind a place of high standing, three children, and all resources.
"Part 2" picks up the family's tale 15 years later, with a very loud knock on the door. The story quickly unfolds; it's unexpected, but a perfect followthrough of the original.
The extended tale is thoroughly intriguing, whether one is familiar with Ibsen's work or not. It hits the original "Doll's" issues, plays on its ideas, and presents many sides, along with unexpected twists.
Little plot is revealed in this review. It's best, especially for those familiar with the original play, to let the story unfold. Just know, the play is a fest of ideas, conflicts, personal views, needs, finagling, laughs and revelations.
Before moving on to the many praiseworthy elements of this production - pretty much the entire show - a quick mention of an opening weekend issue.
The otherwise smart script begins with a stilted dialogue, a few minutes long. While the action calls for a sense of restraint or strain, the written language feels unnatural. In turn, the performances of Heather Glenn Wixson as Nora and Sharon Hilton as Nanny Anne Marie feel somewhat forced.
Not long into the act Nora delivers a monologue to Nanny which shatters the spell, and from then on the 90-minute one act just cruises right along.
In fact, those moments also happen to be some of the show's best, with Glenn Wixson nailing the lengthy piece, and Hilton's face morphing into a cornucopia of meaningful and hilarious reactions. Both these women are on point throughout.
The cast is lovely, tight, and between the four create a great family dynamic.
Glenn Wixson nails the dynamic Nora and Hilton's Nanny is spicy and poignant.
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