An Enemy of the People
Oct. 29th, 2006 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ravens_nestHey, It's been a while. I've had midterms the last couple of weeks, so it's been hectic.
I've had to go see a couple plays for my Theatre class so I decided to post my reviews. Keep in mind this isn't an in-depth analysis, just a two pager for homework. I'll just copy/paste my report.
As seen at the Shakespeare Theatre Company on October 21, 2006; 2PM.
Set in a nineteenth century provincial town in Norway, Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People features Dr. Thomas Stockmann, the staff physician of the town’s famed bathhouse, who discovers through experimentation that the bathhouse’s water is poisoned from the pollution from the tanning factory to the north. When Stockmann attempts to have the bathhouse remodeled, a task that will shut down the bathhouse for two years and will cost a hundred thousand kronos, he is met with swift and fierce opposition from the mayor, his brother Peter Stockmann, and the townspeople. The only people who stick with him is his daughter, Petra and Captain Horster, though his wife finally supports him near the end of the play.
The exposition was very clear. The plot of the play was largely revealed in the first act; who the main characters are and the presentation of the poisoned baths. You immediately knew what the conflict would be. The relationships, both good and bad, between the characters are given as well. Most notably revealed is the intense dislike between the doctor and his brother, which is the main reason the opposition to the doctor’s proposal is so extreme.
The story was very engaging. The doctor, the protagonist, was so likable that you immediately created a connection with him and desired to know what would happen to him. That first connection was strong enough that you where outraged right along with Stockmann, when his brother and the townspeople rallied against him. Peter Stockmann, the mayor and antagonist, was equally dislikable and one formed the opinion that he was pompous and disagreeable. These characters were strong enough and realistic enough that you want to see them clash more and want to know who wins the “argument.”
The actors gave the play a highly realistic feel. The family scene at the beginning was very warm and open. The anger of the mayor when he confronts the doctor about the proposal was well done as well. You really got the feeling that this argument was a culmination of his frustrations with his brother’s frequent unseemly behavior and that he was tired of having to deal with the social repercussions of the doctor‘s crazy ideas. The doctor’s anger and near violence was also realistic. This is especially seen in his study at the end. Those visits send him reeling and nearly hyperventilating as his outrage builds until finally he can’t take anymore and he collapses in the stool crying. This was really uncomfortable to watch; on one hand you wanted to give him a hug and on the other you wanted to turn away from seeing this forty-some year old man have an emotional breakdown. You felt real pity for the guy and you just wanted to wave a magic wand to fix his problems just to get him to stop crying. That was a very good performance.
The set and props were very helpful in setting the time period, the end of the nineteenth century, and the mood, depressing. Even during the lighthearted moments, the bath pipes framing the proscenium stage gave the play a dark or ominous mood, especially when you learn the baths are polluted. The sound effect of the water dripping, reminiscent of malfunctioning plumbing and wasted water, lent to this atmosphere as well. The drips frame the play, you begin and end with them, and they punctuate the scenes during which Stockmann’s struggle is being displayed.
The lighting also lent to this mood. During the suspenseful moment where Dr. Stockmann reads the letter from the university to confirm whether the water is poisoned, the set lights dim on the family scene and a spot light is shined on the doctor. This is also a place where the water drips are heard. During the family scene at the beginning of the play the lights are golden and warm to evoke feelings of happiness. The town meeting scene was light at the center of the stage with darkness almost creeping in around the edges and looming overhead. The town meeting was the doctor’s last hope of convincing the townspeople of renovating the baths. That hope was thoroughly dashed in the ensuing town riot. From then to the end of the play the set was washed in grays and felt hopeless and depressing. Enter last ominous drop of water and the end of the play.
The costumes set the time period and contribute to the character analyses. The doctor’s family was dressed in creams and browns, which expressed their warmth with each other and established their “down to earth” nature which the audience relates to instantly. The mayor’s costumes were very stiff, formal, aloof, and pompous, this last especially when you see how concerned he is with public opinion. The use of the cane also lends to this character analysis when you see how concerned the mayor is about where his cane is and how upset he gets when his brother is playing with it. You can see a large contrast between the doctor’s clothing and the mayor’s, which adds to the sibling rivalry between the two.
I’m a fan of the proscenium stage, so the play seemed very suited to that type of stage. The stage was used very well. Nothing seemed very out of place. The transition between the Stockmann home and the newspaper office was odd at first because the center platform began rotating, which was new for me. But it was nifty when the window shades flopped down and the ceiling lights dropped from the ceiling. It was novel to see and the audience really appreciated the organized transition; they clapped heartily.
Ibsen mainly seemed to be trying to reveal to his audience the herd mentality people often fall back on in times of conflict. Instead of forming their own opinions, they join the band wagon of the rest of society, whose opinions are in part formed by the “elite” of a society. This is the true “poison” in the “bathhouse” of society. The character, Dr. Stockmann, interchanges the “poison” with the townspeople’s mentality several times in the play, particularly during the town meeting scene. Though this seems to be the main theme of the play, there are other themes explored in the play as well.
The conclusion was unsatisfying in that it didn’t end very happily. It was satisfying in that the Doctor didn’t run away to America at the end, but stays to fight the other citizens. The fact that the play ended on a sadder note, however, made the play more real than not, as often our own problems end in that ambiguous manner.
This was definitely a play worth producing. This is a highly political play, with veiled digs at political leaders, propagandists, and the media. The Theatre probably produced this play because of the state elections taking place at this time. Perhaps this is a way to caution voters from forming opinions based on what they hear on the news and from friends when deciding who to vote for. Or the Theatre could be producing this because it’s such a great play. I would definitely recommend this play to any and all that could see it. It would be really great for high school students to study.
I've had to go see a couple plays for my Theatre class so I decided to post my reviews. Keep in mind this isn't an in-depth analysis, just a two pager for homework. I'll just copy/paste my report.
An Enemy of the People
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
As seen at the Shakespeare Theatre Company on October 21, 2006; 2PM.
Set in a nineteenth century provincial town in Norway, Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People features Dr. Thomas Stockmann, the staff physician of the town’s famed bathhouse, who discovers through experimentation that the bathhouse’s water is poisoned from the pollution from the tanning factory to the north. When Stockmann attempts to have the bathhouse remodeled, a task that will shut down the bathhouse for two years and will cost a hundred thousand kronos, he is met with swift and fierce opposition from the mayor, his brother Peter Stockmann, and the townspeople. The only people who stick with him is his daughter, Petra and Captain Horster, though his wife finally supports him near the end of the play.
The exposition was very clear. The plot of the play was largely revealed in the first act; who the main characters are and the presentation of the poisoned baths. You immediately knew what the conflict would be. The relationships, both good and bad, between the characters are given as well. Most notably revealed is the intense dislike between the doctor and his brother, which is the main reason the opposition to the doctor’s proposal is so extreme.
The story was very engaging. The doctor, the protagonist, was so likable that you immediately created a connection with him and desired to know what would happen to him. That first connection was strong enough that you where outraged right along with Stockmann, when his brother and the townspeople rallied against him. Peter Stockmann, the mayor and antagonist, was equally dislikable and one formed the opinion that he was pompous and disagreeable. These characters were strong enough and realistic enough that you want to see them clash more and want to know who wins the “argument.”
The actors gave the play a highly realistic feel. The family scene at the beginning was very warm and open. The anger of the mayor when he confronts the doctor about the proposal was well done as well. You really got the feeling that this argument was a culmination of his frustrations with his brother’s frequent unseemly behavior and that he was tired of having to deal with the social repercussions of the doctor‘s crazy ideas. The doctor’s anger and near violence was also realistic. This is especially seen in his study at the end. Those visits send him reeling and nearly hyperventilating as his outrage builds until finally he can’t take anymore and he collapses in the stool crying. This was really uncomfortable to watch; on one hand you wanted to give him a hug and on the other you wanted to turn away from seeing this forty-some year old man have an emotional breakdown. You felt real pity for the guy and you just wanted to wave a magic wand to fix his problems just to get him to stop crying. That was a very good performance.
The set and props were very helpful in setting the time period, the end of the nineteenth century, and the mood, depressing. Even during the lighthearted moments, the bath pipes framing the proscenium stage gave the play a dark or ominous mood, especially when you learn the baths are polluted. The sound effect of the water dripping, reminiscent of malfunctioning plumbing and wasted water, lent to this atmosphere as well. The drips frame the play, you begin and end with them, and they punctuate the scenes during which Stockmann’s struggle is being displayed.
The lighting also lent to this mood. During the suspenseful moment where Dr. Stockmann reads the letter from the university to confirm whether the water is poisoned, the set lights dim on the family scene and a spot light is shined on the doctor. This is also a place where the water drips are heard. During the family scene at the beginning of the play the lights are golden and warm to evoke feelings of happiness. The town meeting scene was light at the center of the stage with darkness almost creeping in around the edges and looming overhead. The town meeting was the doctor’s last hope of convincing the townspeople of renovating the baths. That hope was thoroughly dashed in the ensuing town riot. From then to the end of the play the set was washed in grays and felt hopeless and depressing. Enter last ominous drop of water and the end of the play.
The costumes set the time period and contribute to the character analyses. The doctor’s family was dressed in creams and browns, which expressed their warmth with each other and established their “down to earth” nature which the audience relates to instantly. The mayor’s costumes were very stiff, formal, aloof, and pompous, this last especially when you see how concerned he is with public opinion. The use of the cane also lends to this character analysis when you see how concerned the mayor is about where his cane is and how upset he gets when his brother is playing with it. You can see a large contrast between the doctor’s clothing and the mayor’s, which adds to the sibling rivalry between the two.
I’m a fan of the proscenium stage, so the play seemed very suited to that type of stage. The stage was used very well. Nothing seemed very out of place. The transition between the Stockmann home and the newspaper office was odd at first because the center platform began rotating, which was new for me. But it was nifty when the window shades flopped down and the ceiling lights dropped from the ceiling. It was novel to see and the audience really appreciated the organized transition; they clapped heartily.
Ibsen mainly seemed to be trying to reveal to his audience the herd mentality people often fall back on in times of conflict. Instead of forming their own opinions, they join the band wagon of the rest of society, whose opinions are in part formed by the “elite” of a society. This is the true “poison” in the “bathhouse” of society. The character, Dr. Stockmann, interchanges the “poison” with the townspeople’s mentality several times in the play, particularly during the town meeting scene. Though this seems to be the main theme of the play, there are other themes explored in the play as well.
The conclusion was unsatisfying in that it didn’t end very happily. It was satisfying in that the Doctor didn’t run away to America at the end, but stays to fight the other citizens. The fact that the play ended on a sadder note, however, made the play more real than not, as often our own problems end in that ambiguous manner.
This was definitely a play worth producing. This is a highly political play, with veiled digs at political leaders, propagandists, and the media. The Theatre probably produced this play because of the state elections taking place at this time. Perhaps this is a way to caution voters from forming opinions based on what they hear on the news and from friends when deciding who to vote for. Or the Theatre could be producing this because it’s such a great play. I would definitely recommend this play to any and all that could see it. It would be really great for high school students to study.
