The University of Alabama’s Department of Theatre and Dance debuted its latest production, “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” written by Lucas Hnath, at the Allen Bales Theatre on Monday. Directed by MFA student Natasha Straley, the play takes on the story of Nora Helmer 15 years after she left her family at the end of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play “A Doll’s House.”
Featuring only four characters and one simple set, the small cast and crew behind “A Doll’s House, Part 2” tackle a high-concept premise with joyful aplomb. For a play about the ramifications of abandoning one’s family and the pains of rampant misogyny, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” is laugh-out-loud funny through and through.
The crux of the humor is Hannah Bradley’s portrayal of Nora, which treads a careful line between being a scene-stealing presence and an overly-serious sycophant. Her portrayal is a bombastic and independent ideologue with fittingly dramatic mannerisms and blocking whose humor comes from her fiendish commitment to her beliefs compared to her compatriots. Her delivery borders on diatribe at times as she rails against marriage and its consequences on women, having become a successful writer of women’s literature. “Marriage is cruel, and it destroys women’s lives,” Nora says, later declaring, “I say just end it. End marriage.”
Amid a dramatic monologue, Bradley dances, crawls and moves around the set like a whirlwind, but her performance neither detracts from the story nor impedes the other actors, who act as comedic straight-men to her over-the-top performance. Between explosive screeds and dramatic movements, Bradley also brings nuance to the table, delivering heartfelt moments and gut-wrenching tension. “We do a lot of things that aren’t good for us,” Nora says. “You only think you need it because it’s all you’ve been told.”
Bradley (right) delivers a dramatic monologue. (Courtesy of Michael J. Moore, UA Dept. of Theatre and Dance)Aurora Maniscalco plays the servant Anne Marie, acting as the yin to Nora’s yang. While most of Nora’s ideological fervor glances off her, some of her comments do land, and Maniscalco portrays the complexity of Anne Marie’s persona. Her stage presence is amplified even off-stage, as she and the other actors enter and exit scenes, deliver lines and communicate through the audience.
As Nora’s husband Torvald, Cole Hintz takes on the daunting role of a male voice in a play themed to women’s issues. Torvald’s character is far from an afterthought in Hnath’s script, though, as he grapples with the return of his estranged wife and his sympathetic, if ignorant, attitude toward women’s liberation. Hintz takes care to portray every detail in the complexity of Torvald’s emotional journey, making the finale of the play all the more satisfying.
The biggest surprise performance of the play comes from Brooke Caperton, who plays Nora’s daughter Emmy. While a relatively minor character in Hnath’s script, only prominently featured in one scene, Caperton’s Emmy is a refreshingly bold and empowered take on the character. She’s acrid and intelligent, with a witty delivery that perfectly counters the energy of Bradley’s Nora. Caperton also displays some of the richest body language and character acting in the entire play, allowing the details of her performance to be shown rather than heard.
Hintz as Torvald during a heated conversation. (Courtesy of Michael J. Moore, UA Dept. of Theatre and Dance)Attention to detail also courses through the costume-work, where every character gets their own distinct color, and the set, where every element of the sparing design reaches its greatest potential.
The traditional aspects of acting excellence and behind-the-scenes know-how are married to thoughtful use of tech in “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” Pop music scores certain scenes, adding a modern charm to dialogue-free sequences and a delightfully funny motif toward the end of the play. Even in the pre-show playlist, classic music bleeds into the biting power chords of Joan Jett’s anthem “Bad Reputation,” a hint at the contrast of styles in the play to come. LED stage lights also cast the set in various shades of red and blue, complementing the emotions on stage.
Before the show even begins, audience members are treated with a special way to engage the story through a QR code-based quiz. The online form matches them with one of the four characters, giving the audience an immediate connection to the play’s story.
Straley, in an interview with The Crimson White, said that she intended to “amplify and expand the world of theater” with creative additions to the traditional play.
“Before the show starts, every audience member should know, ‘Okay, that’s my character,’ and then you’re waiting for that person to show up on stage,” Straley said.
This Thursday, Straley put on a performance featuring an all-understudy cast to a soldout crowd. She said she felt a need to highlight their efforts and talents, noting that understudies have to practice just as much as the main cast even if they may never grace the stage come showtime.
In all, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” succeeds handily across the board, courtesy of Straley’s direction and the work of the entire cast and crew. This is an on-campus experience that cannot be missed.
“A Doll’s House, Part 2” runs through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and closes Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Allen Bales Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office, by phone at 205-348-3400 or online.
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