The Door Opens Again

A Doll’s House, Part 2 – Steppenwolf Theatre

In 1879, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote a play that would become one of his masterpieces and provide, for that time, a shocking evening at the theatre. In “A Doll’s House,” Nora Helmer, the leading character, ends the play, and her stifling, unfulfilled marriage, by walking out and slamming the front door. In doing so, Nora signaled that she was leaving behind her husband and children and starting out alone, on her own terms.

Lucas Hnath’s smart and sizzling sequel to this drama begins fifteen years later, where Ibsen’s classic ended: at the front door. Indeed, Courtney O’Neill’s sparse scenic design is dominated by a large, unusually wide and windowless door. This time, instead of slamming shut, there’s a loud knocking at the door. When Anne Marie, the Helmer’s nanny, answers the door she’s shocked to find Nora standing there. Nora has returned to the home she once shared with Torvald, her former husband, for a specific reason. But what would induce this independent, beautifully dressed woman to return to this house? How will she be received by her nanny, her husband and her children, now all grown up?

Hnath’s clever and crafty comic drama is actually less a conventional sequel and more like an intellectual, yet entertaining dramatic exercise. It’s a “what if…?” play that takes the premise of the original drama and imagines what might’ve happened to the main characters and where they would possibly be, so many years after the climax of the original. Is Nora happy? Has she found the independence that she sought? Is Nora financially able to care for herself? Is there a new love in her life? Should blame be doled out for what Nora did?  Lucas Hnath, whose play earned eight Tony nominations, winning Best Actress for Steppenwolf alumnus, Laurie Metcalf, is a much respected playwright. His one-act, “The Christians” was a stirring Steppenwolf production three years ago. Other notable works include “Hillary and Clinton,” “Isaac’s Eye” and “Red Speedo.” The scenes are mostly two-character dialogues between Nora and Anne Marie, Nora and Torvald and Nora and her grown daughter, Emmy.

Lest anyone think that this is a dull, highbrow treatise, better left to scholars and intellectual snobs, know that Hnath’s play sparkles with wit. It’s lively, vibrant and filled with plenty of unexpected laughs. Various topics are debated and discussed with far more vigor than Ibsen ever imagined. The gorgeously detailed costumes by Izumi Inaba would indicate the setting is turn-of-the-century Norway; but Hanth makes his play much more accessible by providing his characters with contemporary dialogue. Their conversation is generously peppered with profanity, often shocking the audience into laughter. 

Guest director Robin Witt does a spectacular job orchestrating this production and guiding her talented cast. Company member Sandra Marquez, who recently impressed theatergoers with her performances in “The Roommate” and “The Doppelganger,” as well as superbly directing the more recent “La Ruta,” leads the cast as a strong and independent Nora. She fairly vibrates with pent-up energy and motivated drive, and the actress juggles both warm, motherly fondness with acidic cruelty, spawned from hurt. Enjoyed on every major stage around town, Chicago favorite character actress Barbara E. Robertson is properly feisty and fierce as the family’s governess, who sacrificed a life with her child to care for Nora and her brood. She provides much of the well-earned comedy in this production.

Yasen Peyankov, an ensemble member with Steppenwolf since 2002, is equally commanding and vulnerable as Torvald. Finding it easier to reach his ex-wife on an equal playing ground, by sinking to the floor, Peyankov is superb as he gently maneuvers his way through the problem that Nora presents with her unexpected arrival. Company member Celeste M. Cooper returns to the Steppenwolf stage, following her stellar appearances in “BLKS” and “The Doppelganger.” She’s smart and stalwart as Nora’s grown daughter who’s more-or-less forgotten her mother and learned to get through life on her own. As an engaged young lady, she’s even formed her own views about marriage, despite her broken home.

This is a thrilling production of a wonderfully thought-provoking and entertaining one-act. Lucas Hnath’s comic drama is no stuffy, scholarly analysis of Ibsen’s original classic. It’s a play based upon a classic that broke new ground when it was first presented. The play is a game of “What-if,” and it allows the audience to guess down which road each of these characters will head. So, when a knock is heard, don’t be afraid to open the door once again.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas     

Presented January 31-March 17 by Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling312-335-1650 or by going to www.steppenwolf.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.