Is Hedda Gabler Ibsen's female Hamlet? An idealistic heroine fighting society? A victim of circumstances? A prototypical feminist? A manipulative villain? See her in action and decide for yourself. Director Richard Gant has given us a fine opportunity to draw our own conclusions.
Hedda Gabler was premiered in Germany to less than enthusiastic reviews. Twelve years later it became a Broadway sensation. It subsequently became a classic of nineteenth-century realism. It is short on action and long on dialogue.
Hedda Gabler Tesman, totally captured by actress Kelli Harless, is the daughter of an impoverished General. She marries aspiring academic George Tesman (Kenn Burnett) for status and upper-class lifestyle, certainly not for love. Poor George is totally enthralled with her and blinded by his own feelings. His seven/twenty-four research leaves him little time, after their wedding trip, to fulfill the normal husbandly duties.
Enter Eilert Lovborg (Chris DeArmond), who could be of interest to her. However, he soon is drawn as a serious academic rival to George. The plot doth thicken when we learn Thea Elvsted (Courtney Potter) is working with Eilert on his "masterpiece," the sequel to his current book.
The play, though, is about Hedda, and Harless commands almost every scene. Just watching Ms. Harless move, tense up and flash an insincere smile creates the fine touches on her character, and depicts the possessed manipulator.
She is balanced by the delightfully bland - most of the time - portrayal of Burnett. His almost oblivious character, in his own world, is the perfect foil. DeArmond, whose character does like the fruit of the grape a bit too much, can fence with the lead. It is amusing to watch the sparring that goes on between them. Potter's Thea moves through a large spectrum of emotions. She is the one person that cannot be conned too long by Hedda. These four actors form the core of the story and the intricate drama.
They are supported by Caro Louise Aristei as Miss Julia Tesman, George's Aunt, who sees through Hedda in a heartbeat. Elisabeth Cerne plays servant Berta, who goes about her business quite perfunctorily. Frank Comstock is Judge Brack, a family friend, who knows secrets that are intolerable to Hedda.
Hedda Gabler's numerous subplots do challenge the audience, and this production, while having weak moments, offers us an opportunity to see this great playwright at his best.
