Hedda Gabler is not happy.
Back home after a honeymoon trip that lasted six months and found her mostly alone while her husband continued his research, Hedda is forced into a life she never wanted, married to a man she doesn’t love. Bored, she spends her time manipulating the few people around her and finds pleasure in using her father’s old pistols, occasionally threatening those same acquaintances.
Kate Fry delivers as this complicated character. She remained cold, often eliciting laughs from the audience with her sarcasm and witty one-liners. She brings a very modern sensibility to the role. At times it was impossible to not feel some compassion for Hedda, but Fry digs deep to find the callousness that makes this character so interesting.
Although Fry was most certainly the casting highlight, Sean Fortunato played the naïve Jorgen Tesman perfectly, and Chaon Cross was excellent as Thea Elvsted. Barbara Figgins was very believable as Jorgen’s selfless and saintly Aunt Julie. However, Mark L. Montgomery’s portrayal of Eilert Lovborg seemed a little off, and Judge Brack, played by Scott Parkinson, did not command the room as the character should. Kathleen Ruhl had a small role as Berte, the maid.
Another bright spot for “Hedda” is the sure hand of Director Kimberly Senior. She does what she can with the space limitations of Writers Theatre, bringing some important scenes to the theater’s stairs. If you’re in the first row or on the aisle, you might feel like a part of the play. There were times when the show seemed to drag on, especially with two intermissions, but if you’re a fan of good directing, make sure to see Senior’s work before she heads out to La Jolla Playhouse in California and Lincoln Center 3 in New York for the world premiere of “The Who and the What” by Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar.
Despite being written by Henrik Ibsen in 1890, there still seems to be little consensus on whether Hedda Gabler is the heroine or the antagonist. With themes of expectation, control, lust, and mortality that still resonate with audiences today, “Hedda Gabler” gives compelling reasons to head out to Glencoe to draw your own conclusions on the character.
“Hedda Gabler” runs through April 6 at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. Tickets ($35-70) are availableonline, by calling 847-242-6000, or at the Box Office, 376 Park Ave., Glencoe.
Photo: Chaon Cross (Thea Elvsted) and Kate Fry (Hedda Gabler). Photo by Michael Brosilow.
