MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY’S J. WILLIAM AND MARY DIEDERICH COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION DIGITAL MEDIA AND PERFORMING ARTS MARQUETTE THEATRE DEBRA KRAJEC, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PRESENTS
By Henrik Ibsen
A New Translation by Maureen Kilmurry February 21 – March 3, 2013 Directed by Maureen Kilmurry Choreography by Andrea Johnson Scenic Design by Carissa Saia, ‘13 Costume Design by Kimberly O’Callaghan Lighting Design by Nic Trapani, ‘14 Sound Design by Chester Loeffler-Bell The Theatre Arts Program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST). A Dollhouse
1
CAST Torvald Helmer, a barrister..........................................................................................................Tyler Frost Nora Helmer, his wife........................................................................................................... Molly Edwards Dr. Rank, a friend of the Helmers.......................................................................................... Kyle Conner Mrs. Linde, an old friend of Nora............................................................ Hannah Klapperich-Mueller Nils Krogstad, a solicitor.......................................................................................................Larry Lajewski Ivar, Emmy and Bob, the Helmers’ children............Joey Loeffler-Bell, Emma & Olivia Petersen Anne-Marie, the Helmers’ nursemaid......................................................................... Shannon Twohy Helene, the Helmers’ maid.............................................................................................. Katherine Doyle A Porter.....................................................................................................................................Douglas Soder SET TING The action takes place in the Helmers’ home in Kristiania, Norway, 1879 Act I: Christmas Eve
Act 2: Christmas Day
Act 3: The day after Christmas
There will be two ten minute intermissions. The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
D I R E C TO R ’ S N O T E S About a year ago I was approached to direct this historic play. I immediately began browsing the plethora of existing translations to see which one I might want to use for our production. I found myself discovering pros and cons with each, and in May I made the leap and decided that I would do my own adaptation instead. The goal of many adaptations is to make a play more modern or more “accessible” for today’s audiences. My goal, as when I work on Shakespeare, was to try and capture and be true to the language of the time, and then do everything I can to help the actors bring those 130 year old words to life. As I sat down to work, (nerd and lover of language that I am), I found myself continually curious about the original text in Norwegian. What did Ibsen actually write? So, I went nuts on Amazon. Now, armed with my Norwegian copy of the play, numerous dictionaries, grammar books, a dozen other translations of the play and the ubiquitous internet resources, I started looking up various passages in the original. The first eye-opener came with the title of the play itself, Et Dukkehjem. In English, we all know the play as A Doll’s House. But, here in front of me I was seeing only two words. This may seem simplistic, but it seemed monumental to me. What if A Dollhouse was more truly the intent? That is what I was “seeing” on the page. It supported my research. For Ibsen this was not a play only about Nora, or “women’s issues”, but about an environment that kept individuals, both men and women, from finding their true potential as human beings. I became hooked on going back to the original. I found many wonderful details of punctuation, word choice, word repetitions and structure that I wanted to honor. Ultimately, I ended up looking up everything with an eye to getting closer to Ibsen’s language, and the work you now see is a translation rather than an adaptation. The designer notes in the lobby will help you understand our conceptual choices in terms of creating a “dollhouse” true to our vision of this very specific time and place. With thanks, to Phylis Ravel for her inspiration and encouragement, I sincerely hope our work will help you immerse yourself into the world of this timely and groundbreaking 1879 play. Maureen Kilmurry 2
Marquette Theatre
P R O D U C T I O N H I S TO R Y A N D R E V I E W S As dramaturg, the director and I decided I would research certain historical aspects of the play, including initial reactions to it as it was performed across Europe. Below are a few quotes from some early British productions: “Unnatural, immoral, and in its concluding scene, essentially undramatic.” ~Times “It is true that throughout the first act the house unsuspiciously accepted the husband Helmer as a fine, manly fellow. But in the second act, when the crucial line comes, the shock was perceptible, but the situation was seized with wonderful intelligence by the gallery, who henceforth saw plainly that Helmer and not Krogstad is the true “villain” of the piece, and when the same discovery flashes on the wife in the last act they were in perfect sympathy with the situation...It is all the more significant that they submitted to Ibsen on the point without a murmur.” ~Manchester Guardian “Strained deductions, lack of wholesome human nature, pretentious inconclusiveness... Cannot be allowed to pass without a word of protest against the dreary and sterilizing principle which it seeks to embody.” ~Observer These are just a few reactions, and one can see how widely they varied. Take a moment to reflect on our current society, decide for yourself if the issues that appear are merely historical, or if they’re still prevalent. Bridget Rzymski
CAST BIOGR APHIES Kyle Conner (Dr. Rank) Kyle is ecstatic to be returning to his second show on the Helfaer stage. A sophomore Theatre major, Kyle was last seen working with the Fiasco Theater Company during their residency this past fall in The Vexed Question. Other credits at Marquette include Egeon/Dr. Pinch in The Comedy of Errors and assistant stage manager of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. In his free time, Kyle can be found with his headphones on, wandering around Milwaukee for no apparent reason, when he’s not living in the theater. Kyle would like to thank Maureen for the opportunity to work on this show and hopes that you all come back to see Urinetown in April. Enjoy the show! Katherine Doyle (Helene) Katie is a senior preparing to graduate in May with a degree in Theatre Arts and Broadcast & Electronic Communication. Earlier this season, she was seen in Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse as Grammy; other credits include The Laramie Project and A Year with Frog and Toad. Katie is grateful for having had experience in many realms of theater, including acting, directing, and stage managing. It’s been wonderful to be a part of this production! She would like to thank Maureen for this opportunity and for her
incredible patience, the talented cast and crew for their humor and support, and her unbelievable family and friends for making her a very lucky human being. Molly Edwards (Nora Helmer) Molly is thrilled to be a part of A Dollhouse! Molly is a junior year Psychology major/ Theatre minor here at Marquette, and her previous appearances have included participation in directing scenes and as “Teacher” in Defying Gravity. Molly would like to send a million “thank yous” to Maureen for her wonderful directing, all the wonderful people in this cast who made hours of rehearsal so much fun, Andrea for her beautiful dance instruction, Kim and Connie for the outstanding costumes, the entire production team for the incredible lights and set, her friends for being ever so patient and supportive, her family for loving her (even when she’s difficult...), and Andy for making her laugh every day. A very special thank you to Phylis Ravel, who we miss every single day. Molly feels incredibly lucky to have been a part of this production, and hopes you enjoy the show! Tyler Frost (Torvald Helmer) Tyler is a junior Theatre Arts and English Literature double major. He is very excited to A Dollhouse
3
CAST BIOGR APHIES
c o n t.
do A Dollhouse! Previous Marquette credits include: The Foreigner (Rev. David Marshall Lee), Defying Gravity (Ed), and Little Shop of Horrors (Various Characters). Tyler would like to thank Maureen for her wonderful direction as well as the cast and crew for making this show fun! Tyler would also like to thank his family and friends for their constant and needed support and above all love! Enjoy the show! Hannah Klapperich-Mueller (Mrs. Linde) Hannah, a sophomore Theatre Arts and Writing Intensive English major, is honored to be part of this production of A Dollhouse. She has been seen previously on the Marquette stage in as an ensemble member in Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, and last year in both the children’s show If You Take a Mouse to School and Defying Gravity. She would like to thank Maureen for this wonderful opportunity and her parents for their continued love and support. Larry Lajewski (Nils Krogstad) Larry is a sophomore at Marquette University. He is a Theatre Arts and Broadcasting double major. You may have seen him in Holy Days (Gant) or in the MUPS production of Bug (Peter Evans). He would like to thank his family for their undying support and immense love. Enjoy the show!
Doug Soder (Porter/Assistant Stage Manager) Doug is a senior majoring in Theatre Arts and Secondary Education. Doug’s previous Helfaer acting credits include The Comedy of Errors (Dromio E. & Dromio S.), A Year with Frog and Toad (Snail), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Flute), and Sunday in the Park with George (Naomi). This is Doug’s second time assistant stage managing, and he would like to thank Maddy and Kelly for being a wonderful team to work with. Doug would also like to thank Maureen Kilmurry for continually being a mentor and inspiration in his education as a theatre artist. Shannon Twohy (Anne-Marie) Shannon is a junior Theatre Arts major and Film minor. You may have seen her in last year’s Theatre for Young Audiences show, If You Take a Mouse to School, as Teacher/ Mother Mouse. You will also see her in Marquette University’s spring musical, Urinetown, as Mrs. Millennium. Shannon would like to thank her fabulous friends and family for their constant support, director Maureen for her amazing adaptation and direction of this play, and her wonderful cast and crew.
P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F B I O G R A P H I E S Kelly Dillon (Assistant Stage Manager) Kelly is thrilled to be assistant stage managing her first show at Marquette Theatre! She feels absolutely blessed to be a part of this wonderful show. Though looking forward to performing in Urinetown come spring, she has really enjoyed this new experience on the management side. She would like to thank Maureen Kilmurry and Maddy Yee for their help and guidance in this great production. She wishes broken legs to all of the cast and crew of A Dollhouse. Stephen Hudson-Mairet (Chair) 2012-13 marks Stephen’s thirteenth season at Marquette. As chair of the Department of Digital Media and Performing Arts, Stephen 4
Marquette Theatre
is blessed to be working with a great faculty, staff, and student body, and he is happy to share their great work with you. Stephen has completed numerous scenic or lighting designs on the Helfaer stage. This season Stephen will be completing the scenic design for The Foreigner and Gathering Blue. Stephen is once again thrilled to be serving as the faculty advisor for all the student designers for every other show this season. He will also be designing Collected Stories for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and Forward Theatre in Madison. Stephen lives quite happily in a very old house in Wauwatosa with his wife Heidi, and daughters Emma and Grace.
P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F B I O G R A P H I E S Maureen Kilmurry (Director/Translator) A graduate of Marquette University, Ms. Kilmurry received her MFA from Southern Methodist University’s Professional Actor Training Program. A member of Actors Equity Association she has acted professionally in Seattle, Dallas, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and at the Oregon Shakespearean Festival. In New York City she appeared both “Off”, & “Off-Off” Broadway and helped found, and later run an actors’ cooperative whose goals were the continuing education of the professional actor through workshops, independent projects and showcases of new plays. Since returning to her native Milwaukee, she has turned her focus to directing and teaching. Local directing credits include Windfall Theatre, The Boulevard Ensemble, Playwrights Studio Theatre, Amethyst Productions, the John Michael Kohler Art Center, Manitowoc Civic Theatre and the Haggerty Museum. In her 15th year as part of the Marquette theatre faculty, she has taught advanced acting classes as well as directed numerous productions including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Beaux’ Stratagem, and The Comedy of Errors. Ms. Kilmurry is also a voice and speech consultant for Northwestern Mutual and has been the vocal and dialect coach for productions at Marquette University and in the Milwaukee area. Debra Krajec (Artistic Director) Henrik Ibsen is her favorite 19th century playwright, so Deb is very pleased to be producing Maureen Kilmurry’s new translation of A Dollhouse. For the past twenty-nine years, Deb has served as a Director as well as a Costume Designer on MU’s mainstage. She received her MFA from Texas Christian University, and has worked professionally as a costume designer, a director, and an actress. In Milwaukee, Deb has designed costumes for Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and Next Act Theatre and directed for In Tandem Productions and Playwrights’ Studio of Milwaukee. She is very active in the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, where she is a Fellow of the Institute. Deb is a member of Actors Equity Association.
c o n t.
Chester Loeffler-Bell (Technical Director/ Sound Designer) For Phylis. Kaitlyn Martin (Properties Manager) Kaitlyn is a sophomore at Marquette University. She is a Theatre Arts major with an emphasis in Stage Management, as well as a Broadcasting and Electronic Communications minor. She is privileged to have been involved in so many productions, both mainstage and student directed, in her short time here. Feeling grateful to be able to contribute to this production, she hopes that you enjoy the show! Kimberly O’Callaghan (Costume Designer) Kimberly is delighted to be working with Marquette again! Kimberly graduated from Marquette’s theatre program in 2007 and returned last fall semester 2011 to teach and manage the costume shop while Connie was on maternity leave. Recent Marquette design credits include Little Shop of Horrors, If You Take a Mouse to School, and In Common Hours when Kimberly last worked with Maureen! Other design credits include To the Promised Land (First Stage Children’s Theatre), Collected Stories (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre), Microcrisis (Next Act Theatre), Packer Fans from Outer Space (Marcus Center for Performing Arts), Sweet Charity (Sunset Playhouse), and Crimes of the Heart (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre). Kimberly graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with her MFA in costume design. Thank you to Liam, Mary, and Jennifer for their love and support, and thank you to Marquette’s faculty and students for making it so enjoyable to come back! Connie Petersen (Costume Shop Manager) Connie is grateful to have the opportunity to work with her former student, Kim. She has worked professionally for Central City Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Denver Center Theatre Company, and Playmakers Repertory Company at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her recent designs at Marquette include Laramie Project, A Year with Frog and Toad, Putnam County Spelling Bee, Nickel and Dimed, Heidi Chronicles, Tartuffe, J.B., Bye, Bye Birdie and Fifth of A Dollhouse
5
P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F B I O G R A P H I E S July. She was so happy to have had the opportunity to work with Maureen, Andrea, and the late Phylis Ravel on Art to Art with Danceworks. Connie enjoys her free time with her husband, Heath chasing around our 1 yr. old, Olivia and 4 yr. old, Emma! Bridget Rzymski (Dramaturg) Bridget is a junior Theatre Arts major and Theology minor, and this is her first time as dramaturg. Most recently, she costume designed the mainstage production of The Women of Lockerbie, Brigadoon at Homestead High School, and will be seen on stage in the musical Urinetown this coming spring. Many thanks to the director Maureen, her friends, and her parents for all their support and guidance. Enjoy the show! Adriana Saia (Properties Manager) Adriana is a senior technical Theatre Arts major at Marquette University. She has an emphasis in Stage Management and Design. She has previously done props for Marquette’s productions of Little Shop of Horrors and If You Take a Mouse to School. Two summers ago, she worked for American Folklore Theatre as a production intern and she was able to help with building props and a lot of other fun stuff. She is very excited for this opportunity to be co-props master with Kaitlyn Martin. Kaitlyn rocks and this has been a fun experience! She would also like to thank her family for their love and the six-pack and two shots for their constant support! Congrats to the cast and crew of this great show!!! Carissa Saia (Scenic Designer) Carissa is a senior Theatre Arts major with an emphasis in Scenic Design and Management, and an Advertising Minor with an emphasis in Graphic Design and Copywriting. She is very excited to be the scenic designer for her last show on Marquette’s stage. It is a bittersweet opportunity for her. Recently, she designed
6
Marquette Theatre
c o n t.
the set of Defying Gravity; she was on the scenic design team for Holy Days; and she was the assistant scenic designer for The Lion In Winter under Stephen HudsonMairet. She would like to thank Stephen and Maureen for all of their help and confidence during the design process of this show. She would also like to thank her amazing family, her caring friends, and her wonderful and supportive boyfriend for all of their encouragement and love. She is so very grateful for her life and the people in it. Nic Trapani (Lighting Designer) Nic is in his junior year at Marquette as a Theatre Arts major with an emphasis in Lighting Design. Recently, he was the sound engineer for both Little Shop of Horrors and If You Take a Mouse to School, the lighting designer for Holy Days, and the projection designer for Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. His Holy Days design was taken to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and was selected for the final round in the region. Nic has had a great time working with Maureen and the entire design team. He also wants to thank the Six Pack and the two shots as well as his friends, family, and Carissa for their support with all of his endeavors. Madelyn Yee (Stage Manager) Madelyn is a junior at Marquette studying Theatre Arts and Spanish. Some recent Marquette credits include stage manager for If You Take a Mouse to School; assistant scenic design for The Foreigner and Little Shop of Horrors; properties for Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse and Defying Gravity. Other credits: assistant scenic design for Collected Stories at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; scenic painting for Cheeseheads at American Folklore Theatre. She feels amazingly fortunate for having been involved in such a gratifying process and production. She would like to give a tremendous thank you to Maureen, Doug and Kelly, and her family.
P R O D U C T I O N S TA F F Technical Director......................................................................................................Chester Loeffler-Bell Stage Manager...........................................................................................................................Madelyn Yee Assistant Stage Managers...............................................................................Kelly Dillon, Doug Soder Dramaturg.............................................................................................................................Bridget Rzymski Lighting Designer.........................................................................................................................Nic Trapani Light Board Operator.................................................................................................................Susan Wirtz Scenic Designer........................................................................................................................... Carissa Saia Scene Shop Assistants............................. Kyle Conner, Dylan Elhai, Raquel Garces, Lex Gernon, Brittany Green, Rory Higgins, Hannah Klapperich-Mueller, Larry Lajewski, Kaitlyn Martin, Carissa Saia, Nic Trapani, Madelyn Yee Scenic Shop Build..................................................Katie Callahan, Beth Esmay, Aja Luckett-Smiles, Kathleen O’Neill, Kevin Price, Terry Watkins, Oliver Wolf Deck Crew.................................................................................................................................. Terry Watkins Props Master............................................................................................................................ Kaitlyn Martin Costume Designer..................................................................................................Kimberly O’Callaghan Costume Shop Manager..................................................................................................Connie Petersen Costume Shop Assistants................. Hayley Bassett, Michael Cienfuegos-Baca, Jake Daggett, Tyler Frost, Alexis Hamburg, Bridget Rzymski, Adriana Saia, Doug Soder, Ava Thomann, Jessica Trznadel, Shannon Twohy Costume Shop Build......................................................... Sarah Best, Dan Callahan, Katie Callahan, Alex Coddington, Chelsea Drenning, Molly Edwards, Tishna Lodi, Hanna Riesse, Katie Shanahan, Peter Sisto, Amanda Stellberg, Kristane Thrower, Gil Vaquero, Susan Wirtz Wardrobe Supervisor..........................................................................................................Yesenia Cuevas Wardrobe Crew.............................................................................Kristi Keiser, Tishna Lodi, Peter Sisto Sound Designer..........................................................................................................Chester Loeffler-Bell Assistant Sound Designer.........................................................................................................Dylan Elhai Recording Pianist............................................................................................................... Keith Sonneveld Sound Board Operator.................................................................................................Armando Ronconi Assistant to the Chair..................................................................................................................Kelly Dillon Assistant to the Artistic Director................................................................................... Katherine Doyle Box Office Assistant..............................................................................Kaitlyn Barrett, Hannah Henkel House Manager.............................................................................................................. Aja Luckett-Smiles Ushers................................................................................................................Theatre Appreciation Class SPECIAL THANKS Marybeth Anderson Carl Eiche First Stage Children’s Theatre Jim Guy Ingrid Halverson Matt and Solveig Johnson
Erika Kollatz Mark Konewko Milwaukee Repertory Theatre Lisa Schlenker Skylight Music Theatre
A Dollhouse
7
M ARQUET TE UNIVERSIT Y College of Communication Lori Bergen, Dean Joyce Wolburg, Associate Dean Erik Ugland, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies & Research Chioma Ugochukwu, Assistant Dean for Student Services Full - Time Faculty Chester Loeffler-Bell Connie Petersen
Box Office Coordinator Kevin Wleklinski
Digital Media and Performing Arts Stephen Hudson-Mairet, Chairperson Marquette Theatre Debra Krajec, Artistic Director Part - Time Faculty Amy Brinkman-Sustache Todd Denning Fr. Grant Garinger, S.J. Andrea Johnson Roxanne Kess Maureen Kilmurry John Schneider Jacque Troy Mark Weinberg Matthew Wickey
Footlights is where you are - on Facebook, Twitter, the web, the blogosphere. Keep up with what’s happening in the arts and get special offers!
8
Marquette Theatre