In what is a bare minimalist set, before the show, the year 1879 was projected on the backdrop of the stage. This ended up being very odd because this Ibsen rendition was very modern. I would think that in Amy Herzog’s adaptation, she would try to take the bygone era out of the equation. Equally confusing is the direction of Jamie Lloyd. As a modern “Doll’s House,” we get only a bare stage with a turntable set. Characters are spun to the forefront as they address the audience. For the most part, the actors are sitting throughout the one hour and 50-minute intermission-less production.
For the modern theater lover, this production is welcoming. It has two terrific actors in Nora, played by Jessica Chastain from “Molly’s Game,” and Torvald, played by Arian Moayed from “Succession.” The dress is modern, courtesy of Enver Chakartash and Soutra Gilmour, as is the vernacular throughout. The sound design is hip, courtesy of Ben and Max Ringham, and the lighting is in the noir genre. The actors are brought into the modern age and Herzog captures that very well.
In the strict sense of classic theater, this “Doll’s House” has some flaws. The bare stage with only exposed pipes and black and white walls leaves the audience always wondering where the play stands during the performance. With no scenery, many times we are perplexed by where the actors are staged and at what period of the play they are staged in. Furthering the difficulty is the lighting design by Jon Clark; he drops the lights so low halfway through the performance that, coupled with the low tone of the actors, makes it difficult at times to stay awake.
As Nora, Jessica Chastain puts on a great performance; she resonates and captures the pain of a young woman who is strong and protective. While Arian Moayed is very good on stage, his Torvald has changed dramatically from the original book. He is too sensitive, too indecisive and appears weaker than in the original book by Ibsen. The other major difference between this play and the book is how Dr. Rank, played by Michael Patrick Thornton, was portrayed. The doctor in the book was much more forceful; the love of Nora went way beyond what Herzog would have the audience believe in this production.
At the Hudson Theatre one thing is for certain, this rendition of “A Doll’s House” will either be loved or hated depending on if you like more modern theater or more traditional performances.
