A Doll’s House, Part 2

A Doll’s House, Part 2

Golden Theatre

April 1, 2017

Photo courtesy of A Doll's House, Part 2

What happens to Nora Helmer after she leaves her husband and children, closing the door behind her?  Playwright Lucas Hnath tells his rendition of that story in A Doll’s House, Part 2.  The play digs deeply into the institution of marriage, the value of opening old wounds, and the futility of walking away.  Directed by Sam Gold, the production has a stark coldness that effectively triggers emotional response and intellectual discourse.

There is a knock on the door.  Nora (played by Laurie Metcalf) returns after fifteen years.  She is greeted by Anne Marie (played by Jayne Houdyshell), the housekeeper who raised the children in Nora’s absence.  When Torvald (played by Chris Cooper) arrives home from work unexpectedly, Nora is forced to face him without much preparation.  She is there because Torvald neglected to give her a divorce, and Nora now finds herself in desperate need for that legal document to be filed.  Torvald refuses.  Anne Marie recommends that Nora seek the assistance of her daughter Emmy (played by Condola Rashad) in convincing Torvald.  Against her better judgement, Nora agrees.  Her discoveries are difficult, yet her determination is unwavering.

Laurie Metcalf & Chris Cooper
Photo courtesy of A Doll's House, Part 2

The scene between Nora and her daughter is stunningly written, directed, and performed.  Mr. Hnath sets up the character of Emmy as a mirror image of Nora.   She sees her younger self as headstrong and idealistic.  Condola Rashad masterfully propels the action of the scene deeper with impeccable timing, eye contact, and subtle gestures that reveal the character’s intellect and independence.  Laurie Metcalf matches this skill as she allows her character to face her deepest fear and speak without regret.  Mr. Gold uses level and body position in this scene, as he does throughout the production, to illustrate the power struggle between the characters.  The scene where Chris Cooper and Laurie Metcalf face off is riveting and direct.  Jayne Houdyshell rises up as she refuses to have Nora compare her actions to the choices Anne Marie has made.

Playwright Lucas Hnath

Mr. Hnath makes very bold statements in his well-structured and skillfully crafted play.  When Nora returns, she speaks at length about the detriment of the institution of marriage.  This resonates with irony and humor against the political changes in legal marriage over the past few years.  Torvald explains how instead of leaving the marriage after her “epiphany,” she should have stayed to work it out with him.  By expressing this we see how Torvald has grown over the years.  With this concept of marriage as a challenging negotiable partnership juxtaposed against the one earlier expressed by Nora, we get an alternate view of Ibsen’s independent heroine through the lens of the adaptability of the characters she left behind.  In the closing scene we are compelled to ask ourselves where to look for evidence of the changes we seek in the world.

Presently in previews at the Golden Theatre, A Doll’s House, Part 2 opens on April 27 and runs for a sixteen week limited engagement.  It is relevant and absorbing.  See it for yourself. 

Domenick Danza