A Doll's House, Part 2
By Lucas Hnath
Originally produced at South Coast Repertory, Costa MESA, CA
April 9 – April 30, 2017
About the Premiere Production
Synopsis: At the end of Ibsen’s 19th-century classic, A Doll’s House, housewife Nora makes the radical decision to walk away from her marriage and her children to pursue an independent life. Ibsen’s play concludes with the resounding door-slam that announces Nora’s shocking departure. Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2 begins with a knock on that same door, fifteen years later, and then offers a decidedly modern take on the aftermath of Nora’s choice, distilling the story to its central characters and allowing them to talk to one another in ways not unlike men and women grappling with similar questions today. A stylized exploration of power struggles in marriage and relationships, and the difficulty of reckoning with long-held grudges. What happens when Nora is forced to confront the people she chose to leave behind?
Artistic Statement: At a time when gender roles and marriage are undergoing radical re-examination, Lucas Hnath uses a 19-century classic to ask contemporary questions about life choices and their repercussions on ourselves and the people we love. Hnath is one of the smartest, most adventurous playwrights in today's theatre, and we're thrilled to be able to premiere this commissioned play as part of our 2017 Pacific Playwrights Festival.
Grant Statement: The Edgerton grant will allow us to add one week of rehearsal for A Doll's House, Part 2. Hnath plans to continue refining the play between now and its nearly simultaneous openings at SCR and on Broadway; the extra week will give him more elbow room to do so while he's in residence with us. Of equal importance, director Shelley Butler and her cast will have more time to explore the tricky nature of Hnath's deceptively familiar, deceptively naturalistic language and theatrical style and home in on the right way to deliver the play.
Director: Shelley Butler
Additional Funders: SCR's Playwrights Circle