This gripping production of Ibsen's classic, A Doll's House, is sure to keep Milwaukee Repertory Theater audiences enthralled during its month-long run. Stunningly staged by famed Hungarian director Laszlo Marton, this staging keeps most of the play's familiar elements intact. It rarely deviates from Ibsen's original lines, its Victorian timeframe or its famous characters. (One of the play's minor characters, a nanny, is scaled down in this adaptation.) In clever and subtle ways, Marton allows the play to resonate with contemporary flavor. Nora, the main character, wears her blond hair stylishly short. Her outfit is a blend of old and new: a cropped sweater (in a Scandinavian print) is paired with a long, dark skirt. Even Nora's bare midriff occasionally peeks out when she raises her arms. Nora's behavior is as unconventional as her outfit. Hardly the demure Victorian housewife, she practically darts throughout her living room during most of the early scenes. This "squirrel" (her husband's pet name for her) hides forbidden candy inside the piano when she hears her husband approach. Nora seems happily content in her closed little world, filled with household servants and trivial, decorative tasks to occupy her time. Whenever a cloud appears on her horizon, Nora runs into her husband's reassuring arms.
Deborah Staples plays a convincing and delightfully childlike Nora. Staples is equally adept at conveying Nora's distress when ominous signs appear at her door. There's Nils, a scruffy-looking moneylender who threatens blackmail. There's Kristine, an old friend from Nora's hometown who has suffered considerably from the burdens of caring for her relatives. There's an elderly doctor, a longtime family friend who confesses that his congenital disease may soon claim his life. Nora attempts to hide all this unpleasant news from her husband, Torvald, a lawyer who has just been promoted.
Jonathan Smoots gives the performance of his career as the brittle and bitter Torvald. His character, which often comes off as a wooden soldier, takes on new dimension in this production. From the first, one senses Torvald's vulnerability behind his bravado. Under Marton's direction, Nora and Torvald maintain a respectful distance between each other.
Minor characters who make major impressions in this production include Laura Gordon, who puts her full talents into the relatively small role of Kristine, elevating her character in memorable ways. Veteran actor James Pickering is ably cast as the doomed doctor. Torrey Hanson also inspires as the moneylender. Just as Kristine and Nils rekindle an old romantic flame, the future simultaneously fades away for Nora and Torvald. Unfortunately, Staples falls short of crossing the emotional divide that her character requires. She becomes far less convincing as a woman whose eyes have been opened, and she plays the final scenes in a trance-like state. She is basically numb from the reality that her marriage is over. As the audience sees Nora quietly slip away, she does not slam the door behind her. Instead, the large double doors are left open, suggesting a possible reunion.
The set combines myriad elements that overflow with symbolism: the transparency of Nora and Torvald's relationship, the coldness between them, and the play's Scandinavian flavor (doorways are composed of sleek, blond-colored wood). The most glaring set element is a pair of gymnastic rings, placed prominently (and oddly) in the main doorway. Perhaps they are meant to suggest that Nora's home is no more than a cage in the gorilla house. In any case, they detract visibly from an otherwise wonderful production.
