UMD Stages Brilliant Adaptation of Ibsen Classic
Sheryl Jensen
Duluth News Tribune
November 8, 2019
“Democracy is questionable if citizens do not know how to act rationally, morally, and environmentally.” — Dr. Yearn Hong Choi, from the playbill for An Enemy of the People.
As relevant today as it was when playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote it in 1882, UMD’s production of An Enemy of the People reverberates with issues ripped from the headlines: political corruption, moral bankruptcy, environmental crises, the role of the whistleblower and the need for a free press.
The star of the show is UMD professor Tom Isbell’s scintillating new adaptation, down from five acts to one taut 85-minute act, performed without an intermission. Some characters, scenes and plot elements are left out or altered, and the roles that the women play are now more integral, making the script laser-focused and as contemporary as the latest Tweet or evening news broadcast.
Filled with catch phrases and references to today’s political climate, the script still beats with the heart of Ibsen’s original themes. Isbell’s dynamic direction includes intricate movements in scenic designer Katie Cornish’s “boxing ring” set that gives space for different locales, eventually evolving into a “courtroom.”
Ibsen, the Shakespeare of Norway, tells the story of Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Addison Sim), a medical officer for the town’s major industry, a spa. Alarmed when he discovers that the spa’s water source has been contaminated by the tannery, Stockmann makes his explosive findings public.
His whistleblowing puts him in direct conflict with his brother, Peter Stockmann (Patrick Timmons), the town’s mayor and the spa’s board president. To fix the water issues would require closing the spa for two years, spending huge amounts of money, and disrupting the economy and the livelihoods of the town’s residents.
Sim and Timmons have some strong moments in their arguments about what happened originally to cause the problems, and, more significantly, what should or shouldn’t be done to fix them. While, at times the two actors could build to a bit more spark and passion, they represent well their opposite corners, one brother unwilling to accept an “inconvenient truth” and the other willing to go along with the status quo, with the health of the spa visitors be damned.
The evening’s strongest acting moments come from Rachel Williams as Petra Stockmann, the doctor’s daughter. Starting out as a funny, witty, sarcastic college student, Williams becomes the most impassioned advocate for her father. When she waves the fraudulent permit that knowingly allowed the location of the spa’s pipes in the first place, it becomes a banner, and her speech an anthem in the show’s climactic scene.
A crushing “afterword” includes a litany of the events surrounding Flint, Michigan’s water catastrophe and the dismantling of the EPA and regulations that will inevitably cause more disasters.
This production is a compelling cautionary tale of an impending ecological holocaust that requires the conscience, decency and activism of more than just Ibsen’s “strongest man … able to stand alone” but the collective voices and actions of governments, leaders and awakened populations around the globe.

The play An Enemy of the People excellently addressed the issue of water pollution that has affected our past and has continued to be a problem we have yet to solve. This production portrayed the dangers of how power in the hands of selfish leaders can corrupt society.
ReplyDeletePlaywright Henrik Ibsen created a well thought-out production that shined light on the social and political issues that have burdened their beloved town. Through this serious play, he highlighted how those in authority don’t always have the community’s best interest at heart. Ibsen invented three dimensional characters that demonstrated most people’s true nature to prioritize themselves over others.
Director Tom Isbell’s adaption brilliantly revealed the power of the silent majority and how their support can heavily influence the final outcome of a decision. Isbell’s choice to leave the the play open-ended gave the play a sense of realism because there still isn’t a solution to fix environmental pollution at a low cost. The director appropriately concluded the performance with the citizens mentioning Flint Michigan which reminded the audience of how water contamination is a real world problem. While most of the creative choices were effective, a few improvements could have been made. Due to the arena seating, it was difficult to hear and see the actors’ facial expressions when their back faced one side of the audience.
Addison Sim sensationally portrayed Dr. Stockmann as a man of science who valued the wellbeing of his community over making a profit. Sim drew the audience into the action as he made eye contact with the audience members while he passionately spoke at the town hall meeting. His incredible acting skills were apparent when he pleaded to his peers to believe him.
Patrick Timmons as Peter convincingly played the town mayor who was more concerned with his own self image and the cost to solve the problem than the good of the community. He also added an authoritative presence to the room every time he stepped foot on stage. Timmons impressed the audience with his persuasive acting as he twisted Dr. Stockmann’s words to weaken his credibility.
Costume/makeup designer Leah Benson-Devine created a clear distinction between Petra as a college student dressed in more casual clothes and the adults who were dressed in more professional attire. This contrast in costumes helped to establish the ages of the characters. Her clever touch of red on Peter’s costume associated him with power and Katherine’s hint of purple correlated with her wisdom.
Scenic designer Katie Cornish expertly designed a set that did not limit the story to a certain time period. The earthy toned floors and the decorative crown molding ceiling combined the environmental and the political aspects of the play to give it a cohesive feeling. Cornish’s set allowed for the smooth rearrangement of chairs and movable banisters to transform the stage from an office to a town hall.
Overall, this play showed how a friend of the people quickly can become an enemy, once others realize their own interests are at stake.
-Kiara Anderson
The University of Minnesota-Duluth Theatre program presented a new adaptation of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People and the timeless script presented an issue that is as relevant today as it was a hundred years ago. Tom Isbell created an adaptation that provoked questions regarding our own past, present, and future. The ambiguous ending perfectly fit the idea that there are no right answers in these issues.
ReplyDeleteTom Isbell made incredible directing choices to create a well-rounded play. The real-life feeling made the issues come to life. The overarching theme of the silent majority and people who disregard facts felt very current, but is a timeless issue integrated well. The modern language was seamlessly integrated into the hundred-year-old plot. Isbell was able to make his adaptation unique and relatable while maintaining his goal of timelessness.
There was not an acting misstep in this production. The group was cohesive and created incredible character relationships on stage. The deep subject matter was further emphasized by the incredible skill shown by the actors. Each of them knew when to pause for emphasis and really seemed to believe their character’s viewpoint on the issue.
Addison Simm (Thomas) showcased a selfless man with a focus on the physical well-being of the citizens. He conveyed passion and sacrifice in his arguments. Seeing him slowly transform from optimistic to questioning was subtle but showed the character’s development. Simm, Jenessa Iverson (Katherine), and Rachel Williams (Petra) created a family that meshed incredibly well.
Williams impressed as the passionate, but dismissed, young person. She showcased the generation who is told their concerns have no weight because they are young. She was incredibly expressive and clear in her emotions throughout the show. Williams was able to make the switch from bubbly college student to unapologetic advocate, paving her own way to her father’s side.
Patrick Timmons as Peter stunned in the antithesis to Simm’s Thomas. His focus on the economy and social well-being of the town while dismissing the facts was angering but brought the important plot point of a silent majority into play. His position of pleasing the people rather than acting in their best interest and his focus on the current and not the possible future was reminiscent of current leaders. Timmons was bold on stage and fit the character very well.
Although the arena seating did hinder sightlines at times, the set design by Katie Cornish took advantage of the choice. By slowly closing the cast into a ring, she created the separation felt between the two sides of the issue. Cornish’s idea to have the actors themselves do the scene changes during the circular walking eased transitions and kept the flow going much better than a complete stop in the action.
Lighting designer Lexie Cruz had a huge hand in the success of the show. The blue lighting in transitions emphasized the issue of the water, and the orange emphasized conflict. Cruz’s circular light motion assisted the flow of the movements of transition. Cruz flawlessly managed to illuminate the ring of the battle with stadium-like lighting without blinding the audience. By emphasizing the report whenever it was on stage, she brought the audience’s eyes exactly where they needed to be.
Costume designer Leah Benson-Devine assisted in the timelessness of the show. The costumes were simultaneously modern and classic. The grayscale costumes fit the ambiguity of the conflict. The costumes distinguished between ages as well, with parents and children being played by actors of roughly the same age.
Isbell perfectly captured the message in one sentence: “We are still getting used to things we have no business getting used to.” UMD Theatre brought an incredibly important issue to light. Each aspect of An Enemy of the People intertwined and supported the conflict between economy and environment. This is a show that transcends generations, political opinions, and geography to address basic human issues.
-Paige Ramos
Profit versus citizen safety, politics versus morality, and brother versus brother. Originally created by the “Father of Realism”, Henrik Isben, The University of Minnesota Duluth proudly presented a new adaptation of An Enemy of the People. It highlights key societal issues that continue to plague humanity. “We’re getting used to things we have no business getting used to,” stated best-selling author and former editor of Saturday Review, Norman Cousins. The audience sees his words ring true as the conflicted plot unfolds between two brothers, mayor and scientist, both trying to do what they see is best for their beloved city as a threatening water epidemic comes to light with the potential to harm either the city’s economy or the city’s health.
ReplyDeleteTom Isbell directed this powerful adaptation, taking the 1882 Norwegian play and placing it in 2019 America. Choosing a unique convention style, he decided to arrange the black box theater to a theater-in-the round formation. The arrangement left a stunningly powerful impact on the audience, enveloping each viewer into the high-tension play.
The use of costume further emphasized the conflict between politics and morality. Designer Leah Benson-Devine choose each character’s outfit to match their stance on the situation at hand. Patrick Timmons played Peter Stockmann, the smooth-talking mayor of the city. He had trimmed hair and wore an ironed suit, complete with powerful red accent buttons to indicate his power of the town. Addison Sim played Dr. Thomas Stockmann, the moral scientist and brother to Peter. His shaggy hair, beard, glasses, and tucked in shirt conveyed an intelligent, compassionate man. These are only a couple examples of the detailed thought that went into each characters’ costume to help convey their personality.
Designer Lexie Cruz added to the rising action through detailed lighting design. During scene transitions, people and scenery shuffled. These transitions grew with intensity to match the beat of the production. How? Through lighting. Cruz emphasized turmoil through the circling of bright lights against a darkened platform. The contrast and balance allowed the audience to read every character’s expressions and catch their specific eye glances from person to person. Thanks to lighting, subtle movements held strong impacts as the climax rose and fell.
The entire cast came together to create an inspiring show. The production was outstandingly executed through the translation of societal issues of the past being addressed and adapted to reach the current audience with riveting relevance. With the work of all those involved, An Enemy of the People gave each audience member a window into real life circumstances. It tugged an emotional, inspiring response from every seat in the house, as they observed and learned from the conflict presented on stage.
Cassandra Schwantz
The University of Minnesota Duluth’s An Enemy of the People is a powerful discussion on relevant topics of today's issues of climate and pollution that engages the viewer. The play addresses ideas of power, lies, determination and strength through adversity.
ReplyDeleteThe production is based on Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play and was then adapted by director Tom Isbell for UMD’s production. Isbell adapted the 19th century play and put it into the present. He changed various aspects of the play by changing the language, certain scenes, and portrayal of the female characters. This adaptation follows Dr. Thomas Stockmann in his quest to tell the truth about the polluted water supply in the popular city spa; however, he faces conflict with the town and including Mayor Peter, his own brother.
Isbel decided to display his adaptation of an Enemy of the People in an arena configuration. This caused the audience to be put in the role as spectators and created such intimacy within the space. The lines between the spectators and the actors were almost blurred through their relationship throughout the production. The blocking of the play also successfully executed. Isbell allowed natural movement with the blocking of the actors to create an intense realism. Especially in the town meeting scene, the actors circled around and engaged the audience through their movements on the stage.
Addison Sim (Dr.Thomas Stockmann) successfully portrayed his character’s quest for truth. Sim engaged viewers into his story. His emotions were strong, determined, and passionate. He knew his character and his aspirations and moral values. For instance, the town hall meeting proved to be an emotional tense scene for his character. Sim was able to remain some professional composure and determination and pride.
Rachel Williams (Petra Stockmann) shined in this emotional portrayal of a young woman finding the truth and questioning the structures of power in society. She grew from a passive watcher into a passionate activist over the course of the production. Williams reached an emotional climax in the town hall scene. Her emotional transitions from bothered to furious anger were fluid and portrayed brilliantly.
The scenic design was simple, effective, and not distracting in the course of the play. Scenic designer Katie Cornish added a certain tense aspect of a courtroom like feel to the production. The costumes displayed a certain timeless aspect and was able to display age and profession Petra’s costume reflected modern fashion of a young adult, while Mayor Peter was presented as a professional business man. Each character seemed to be symbolized by different colors as well through their costumes to differentiate from one another. Finally, the use of light was a significant aspect throughout the play. During the tense scenes, the lighting would slowly change and created this powerful showdown type of atmosphere, especially in the town hall scene. In addition, the final scenes of the play display the start of a new day and creating a powerful change.
All in all, UMD Theatre’s An Enemy of the People displays the complex definitions of truth and the quest to tell the truth. This production pushes the boundaries of political, social, and human rights issues. It pulls viewers into the controversial subject matter and lifts the issue up towards better understanding and discussion.
Kaitlyn Koehler
An Enemy of the People was a very moving play. It addressed a serious issue from the 1880s that is still relevant today. Water pollution has been a problem in our nation for over a century, and Tom Isbell, the director, wanted to express the importance of this through a passionate and compelling display of emotion.
ReplyDeleteTom Isbell recreated Henrik Ibsen’s original An Enemy of the People in a way that provided intensity and captivated all that watched. By having no intermission, it made the play hold its seriousness by allowing the audiences’ minds to stay in world of the play. Also, the idea of making the audience the members of the town was brilliant. The whole room was part of the performance.
Patrick Timmons portrayed Peter Stockmann, the mayor of the town, and his performance seemed astonishing to all. Peter didn’t care that the spa’s water was toxic and could potentially poison and kill people. All Peter cared about was the profit and publicity the spa provided the town. Timmons portrayal of the mayor felt as though he really believed what his character was arguing for, which is not an easy thing to do. The speech Timmons gave during the town meeting was so moving and felt so real, it seemed as though members of the audience were taking his side out of fear and obligation.
The passionate performance Rachel Williams gave as Petra Stockmann appeared to bring tears to eyes. Petra’s father, Dr. Thomas Stockmann played by Addison Sim, believed that the town should know the truth and that they would care enough to help fight for what’s right. This hope her father had inspired Petra to dig deep and uncover the truth. Once Petra found out that her uncle Peter was the one behind the toxic water in the spa, she had to make people care. The passion and fury Williams showed in her powerful performance with her uncle at the town meeting were captivating. The emotion was overwhelming. Williams seemed to bring out herself in her character, and that is what made her performance so compelling.
The plays “afterword” was just as moving as the play itself. The actors included brief stories about Flint, Michigan’s water pollution and the regulations that could cause this issue to become even worse. The entire production seemed to open many eyes about the horrible truths in the world and how your actions can make a difference. An Enemy of the People is not just a play for entertainment, it is a movement to help change the world for the better.
Emma Koleski
An Enemy of the People is a powerful production done by UMD’s School of Fine Arts. To raise awareness of the environmental crisis we are going through, and our politicians lack of caring, this show calls upon the uneducated mindless majority to learn about how we’re running our world and fix it in order to preserve our own lives. This intensely thought-provoking production will leave audiences with a desire to use what power they have to make a lasting change on our world.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbell adapted this show from it’s original 1882 script to make it more current. However, the main theme of the show remained intact as it is still very applicable today. Isbell has effectively used his platform as a university theatre director to shed light on an all-too-real problem in our society.
Dr. Thomas Stockman (Addison Sim) is the man responsible for the turmoil in his town. He realizes the water is bad and is labeled an enemy of the people by town leaders. Sim is such a strong presence on stage; he embodies his character so well the audience forgets he’s acting. His Dr. Stockman is poised but steadfast and unrelenting.
Petra Stockman (Rachel Williams), the daughter of Dr. Stockman, is a feisty university student with a passion for welfare in her society. She is unafraid to speak the truth, despite the consequences that may arise. Petra is a perfect mirror of the voices of youth today. Many of her lines were statements being made by younger generations regarding politics; it was a perfect way to make the character relevant to the college audience.
Peter Stockman (Patrick Timmons) is the brother of Dr. Thomas Stockman and the town mayor. He doesn’t want to spend the money and time on fixing his town’s water supply so he labels his brother a whistleblower and an enemy of the people. He perfectly fits the the politician archetype. He is two-faced and only works for what is important to himself. Timmons gives the audience a ruthless villain to root against.
Mary Hovstad (Leah Walk) is the publisher of one of the town’s news outlets, The Messenger. She is confronted with a difficult choice to either side with the doctor or the mayor. For the entirety of the show, she is constantly switching her side. Everything about her actions and her appearance portray that she is like a viper. She is cunning and she will do what it takes to be on the winning side.
The citizens in the show, played by Laura Carlson, Catherine Dukelow, Deryk Hak, and Mackenzie Krueger, served to do very little more than just moving set pieces. I knew as they sat with the audience that they were trying to make the audience feel a part of the action, but I doubt this purpose came across to other members in the crowd. Their words at the beginning and end of the show were very powerful, however, I am unconvinced that they were a necessary addition to the show.
Sound designer Drew Check made an excellent design choice with his storm sound effects. During the scene at the town meeting, there were sounds of rain and thunder that paralleled the rises and falls of the arguments. In the calmer parts of the argument, all that could be heard was soft rain. When the arguments would get louder and more intense, thunder would strike in the background with it. The mirror of the natural world to the world of the show gave this scene a new level of power that differentiated it from the rest of the show.
“What’s the use of being right if you don’t have power?” Mary Hovstad delivers this powerful line that will leave the audience thinking long after they’ve left the theatre. UMD has a long-standing history of delivering wonderful shows, but An Enemy of the People is doubtlessly a stand-out piece. Any friend of the people should not want to miss out on the opportunity to see this show.
-Kenzie Carrane
Relevant issues and questions of morals were brought up at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s rendition of An Enemy of the People. Originally written in 1882 by Ibsen, Tom Isbell adapted An Enemy of the People making it very relevant to the issues in today’s world. Issues that are somewhat controversial. Isbell may have adapted the play, but it went on as fluid as ever, while discussing some troublesome matters.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbell made some directing choices that contributed to the success of this show. Having it in the black box with seating around every side made it easy to feel the tension as if you were right there with them in the courtroom. Not only did the arrangement of the theatre add to the plays credibility, but the realistic set transformed the small black box theatre. Katie Cornish did an incredible job turning this theatre in a courtroom from top to bottom. The painting of the floor created an illusion of marble floors and the ring of white around the ceiling allowed the feeling of a courtroom. The simple, yet elegant design of the set added to the timelessness of the show.
Isbell’s choice to adapt this play using modern language seemed to work coherently. The play and choices made by Isbell contributed to the endless moral concerns within An Enemy of the People, considering it was originally done in 1882.
Thomas Stockmann, played by Addison Sim, was a great fit for the ethical, morally accepted character he was. The soft nature of Sim really seemed to blend with his character, but the complexity of the characters emotions were portrayed by Sim in a realistic fashion. Counterpart, as well as brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann, was played by Patrick Timmons. Timmons had a great look and demeanor for a politician. Timmons condescending disposition allowed the ruthless politician within his character to be seen. Rachel Williams, as Petra Stockmann, brought an innocence and idealism to this ethical dilemma. Petra Stockmann’s yearning for the truth was brought to life by Williams beautiful acting. Watching William’s act out Petra’s frustrations and question beliefs was like riding an emotional rollercoaster; it was admirable.
The blocking of the play was something to mention. Isbell’s blocking, as well as having citizens make one to feel like they were a part of the play, was iconic. The movement of the characters allowed the tension to build within the scenes and the moveable props made it easier to see the escalating moods within the play itself.
Lexie Cruz’s lighting design hit the nail head on! The transitions emphasized by the blue lighting was a great way to give the audience just a brief moment to reflect on what had just previously happened. The way Cruz was able to shine the bright lights around the circle, without blinding the audience, was artistic gold and highlighted the drama within the play. The lighting was a strong focal point that brought the show to life and the subtle marker of dramatic scenes.
Costume designer Leah Benson-Devine transformed college aged students into professional adults who were taking a stand for what they believed in. The way Benson-Devine used a color per character was a great marker to keep track of who was who and what they believed in. Having the citizens as more neutrally dressed characters was an inspiring way of making them more background characters that could blend in. Each character costume seemed to be aesthetically pleasing to their personality. One costume that really stood out was Mayor Peter Stockmann’s. The slick politician look was complete with a little dash of dark red. It was professional, as well as sleazy looking, giving off just the right appearance for a Mayor with higher political standards than moral standards.
After viewing An Enemy of the People, directed by Tom Isbell and performed by University of Minnesota-Duluth’s theatre department was definitely worth going to. The relevant issues and artistic choices done by all the parts of the show brought this story to life and definitely is applicable in today’s world.
- Dylan Flaherty
ReplyDeleteAn Enemy of the People brought light to the to the ecological changes becoming present in today's changing world. Water pollution vs. economics is the paramount discussion leading the plot of this production and displays the dangers of what power-hungry leaders can do to society.
This play was originally written by Henrik Ibsen to highlight things such as political corruption, social issues, and ecological conservation. UMD director Tom Isbell then adapted it to fit a modern audience and style.
Isbell's adaption worked extremely well for this play. It clearly showed connections to real-world conservation problems occurring today in the Midwest; such as the contamination of the boundary water lakes from mining exploits or the Flint water crisis. Tom also chose the unique arena stage configuration. This was amazing, allowing for a very intimate viewing and felt as if you were in a literal courtroom during a debate. Overall, he did a very good job in respect to the modification of this script.
Patrick Timmons as Peter, the town mayor, played as the economically thirsty business man with no regards to the conservation of the environment. Patrick did a very nice job with this part, really presenting a persona of a self centered, egotistically deranged, and immoral man. During some of these scenes, he would become so angry and infused into the argument it was almost as if you were getting spit on in the intimate arena seating.
Petra Stockmann, played by Rachel William, presented an emotional, but stubborn young woman whose sole focus was to uncover the truth behind the corruption. She did a tremendous job giving the audience poignant reasons as to why the pollution is such a serious problem.
Dr. Stockmann, father of Rachel Stockmann and played by Addison Sim, represented the conservationist in the room. The doctor was set on the idea that reducing pollution was a better choice than prospering economically. Addison did a great job as Dr. Stockmann; he kept the character dynamic through the entirety of the play and displayed the selfless character everyone envies.
Lexie Cruz, the lighting designer, projected the mood of the scenes through the changed of the lights from blue to orange depending on the argument at hand. She did a wonderful job highlighting that the courtroom was an intense place, almost as if it was a fight or battle.
Overall, this play brought attention to situations that everyone is cognitive of right now. Pollution/ecological changes are occurring in our world today and it is very encouraging that universities, actors, directors, and etc. are stepping up to the plate to bring awareness to these situations.
Zach Sexe
An Enemy of the People was a captivating play that shone light on real life affairs. This play educated the audience of issues frequently looked passed while performing an amusing, heartfelt show.
ReplyDeleteAs director, Tom Isbell is clearly passionate of theatre and more specifically An Enemy of the People. He took Henrik Ibsen’s version of An Enemy of the People and uniquely made it his own, while still giving off an identical message. Isbell related the issues in Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey to present society. His director’s note confirms his viewpoint of not only the damage occurring to water resources but also the fight between profit and citizen safety. It was very evident that he took all his emotions and beliefs regarding these topics and poured them into this entire play; making for an all-around pleasant experience!
Addison Sim took one of the main character roles as Dr. Thomas Stockmann and gave an outstanding performance. Not only was he very convincing in his claim that the water was contaminated, but he made the audience empathize for him by the way he showed compassionate towards the other characters. Sim played a key part in bringing An Enemy of the People to life.
Counteracting Dr. Thomas Stockmann was his very own brother, Peter Stockmann, played by Patrick Timmons. Timmons upheld himself with the same kind of professional composure as an actual town mayor. He was made to play the villain, and surely induced that idea into the audience. Masking a selfish, greedy individual with an outside appearance of an educated politician is not something all actors can achieve, but Patrick Timmons surely did.
Much like her father, Petra Stockmann, played by Rachel Williams, was a loving, strong-willed individual. Williams, who is a University of Minnesota Duluth senior, made herself appear as a college student within the play but as a completely different person. With the performance occurring on University of Minnesota Duluth’s campus, Petra Stockmann was arguable one of the most relatable characters for college students. Her strive for success and willingness to do everything in her power to help her father was truly inspirational. As an actor, Rachel Williams, was tremendous! Her ability to make the audience feel her emotions is what made her stand out.
Lexie Cruz, the lighting designer set the mood in all five acts. Cruz incorporated multiple colors of lighting causing more emotion to be felt by the performance. She did not stop after combing various colors; she designed them to go through sporadic movements adding just what the play needed. Her choices were all very well though tout and placed in the appropriate spots. She even worked alongside the sound designer, Drew Check, in creating what seemed like real lightning and thunder.
The costume designer of An Enemy of the People, Leah Benson-Devine, seems to be a natural artist. She not only envisioned costumes that were astonishing but also composed them adding to the realistic effect of the characters. Her creations portrayed both the time period of the play and each character’s personality. Benson-Devine added small touches, such as Petra’s hair tie, in order to spice up every costume.
Every contribution given into creating Tom Isbell’s adaption of An Enemy of the People was well worth it! The need for change was portrayed and sent out into the audience’s hands.
-Marianna Pavlis
In the politic-driven world today, it is controversial to release a piece such as An Enemy of the People, but necessary. Originally written by Henrick Ibsen, this heavy piece focuses on the systematic problems within leadership. Recognizing the ties to modern-day, the talented director—Tom Isbell—adapted the original script to fall closer in line with the present in order for it to resonate more with audiences. Many inserted lines gained immediate recognition from the audience members.
ReplyDeleteAs aforementioned, Isbell not only adapted the play, but also directed the production. Working closely with the cast and crew, Isbell was able to execute his adaption rather well. One of the best choices made was that of the moving transitions. The circular motion kept the play moving forward without pausing and therefore causing a disconnect from the audience. The moving transitions combined with the arena theater allowed the audience to feel more involved within the scenes.
Of course, the true feeling of involvement came from the great acting from the cast. While all members did an excellent job, a few stood out. Rachel Williams, who played Petra Stockman, created a realistic and passionate young adult. Her drive can be mirrored in reality by young advocates such as Greta Thunberg. Fictional or not, both girls showed an inspiring amount of dedication. Williams’s character was truly the heart of the play.
Opposite of Williams was Patrick Timmons playing Peter Stockman—Petra’s uncle and mayor. Timmons played the corrupt politician well, creating a convincing villain that the audience could easily identify. Timmons gave a sly characteristic to Peter, making it more believable when he corrupted other characters.
One such character that allowed herself to fall victim to corruption was Mary Hovstad, played by Leah Walk. Initially, Walk played her character as a companion to Dr. Stockman and his family, but she was able to change her character’s dynamic seamlessly by focusing on Mary’s inner desires. Walk’s character was a great reminder of how easily swayed many people are, therefore acting as yet another connection to reality.
Tying it all together, the designers added various aspects that acted as a polish over the whole production. To aid with the moving transitions, the lighting was lowered in intensity and allowed to move along with the characters. As for the sound, environmental sounds came in the form of a storm outside of the courtroom, adding emphasis to the dramatic scenes. With all the wonderful aspects coming together, the cast and crew were able to create a memorable production of An Enemy of the People
Profits or health? A question that can be applied to many of societies controversies from the past and with the current state of affairs. Are you willing to give up the potential health of society to keep it from going bankrupt? Tom Isbell digs into arguments from both sides in his re-creation of Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play “An Enemy of the People”. Scenic designer Katie Cornish uses a round formation to centralize the stage, using minimal props to create an overall feeling of intensity the whole performance.
ReplyDeleteThe cast impressively is able to draw the correct reaction that their character intended to receive. Peter Stockman (Patrick Simmons) portrays the power-hungry mayor who wants nothing more than votes and profits. A character who is hated at the beginning of act one, Timmons acts if he draws off being the hated antagonist by the audience, leading to a very strong performance. On the contrary, his brother Dr. Thomas Stockman (Addison Sims) plays the shy, persistent doctor that tries to expose the truth up against the monopoly created by the news, mayor, and business owners. The audience is forced to feel empathetic by the performance of Sims and his persistency against all odds.
Katherine Stockman (Jenessa Iverson) and Petra Stockman (Rachel Williams) play Thomas Stockman’s wife and daughter. Williams and Iverson display the great ability to be hesitant with the decision, but back what is right and take the side of Thomas Stockman and his fight for the safety of the spa.
Robin Alaskan (Eukariah Tabaka), local business owner’s association leader, and Mary Holvstad (Leah Walk), head of the local newspaper greatly portray the ability to be persuaded by money. By first being a strong supporter of Thomas’s health claim, they show how good people can be persuaded to look the other way when their job, of life is on the line.
The transitions between scenes was brilliantly though of by Tom Isbell and executed by Stage manager Katie Kampfhenkle and cat. By having them walking in a circle with straight faces and the intense music being played, it increased the tension within the room. With many moving parts happening around the scenic changes, the cast and creative team did an excellent job having scene changes run smoothly and have a part in the whole performance.
Overall, the performance did a great job showing how there can be arguments on both sides when it comes to the health of the earth or people, and the need to create jobs and profits. It’s an argument that is unfortunately politically driven and shows that the people with the power, not the facts can have the final decision in matters concerning the well-being of the planet. As summed up by Mary Holvstad “what’s the use of being right if you don’t have power?”
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DeleteIf there is a play that speaks volumes of the current environmental and political climate of the modern age, it is Henrik Ibsen’s "An Enemy of the People". Adapted and directed by Tom Isbell, UMD’s production of the old Ibsen classic was 87 minutes of nonstop tension that questioned the ethics of “majority rules” when that majority is ill-informed.
ReplyDeleteThe cast delivered incredible performances throughout the play, but Rachel Williams (who played the role of Petra Stockmann) and Patrick Timmons (taking on the role of mayor Peter Stockmann) gave outstanding performances. Williams’s portrayal of young, enthusiastic Petra was almost startling in its familiarity. Her strong belief that the truth is valued, and that right will always win was portrayed with such earnest that it was tangible, and her anguish and bewilderment when that belief was proven wrong stung harshly. On the other side, the mayor’s bullheaded refusal to accept the facts of the damning report and his eloquent twisting of words was the perfect amount of aggravating and detestable that made the character so incredibly fun to hate. Both performances were carried out brilliantly, and they both made clear the relevance of this important play.
The scenic design of the show (achieved by Katie Cornish) was an interesting approach. As this show was performed in an arena style stage, there was little use of scenery. Only simple chairs, a desk, and several railings were used to convey the idea of a courtroom. This lack of scenery helped give the idea that this show might be taking place any time or anywhere- a timeless quality that emphasized how the old show still had plenty of modern relevance. Costume designer Leah Benson-Devine also contributed to the timeless quality of the show, and she creatively represented the ability of people to be swayed to different sides. The actors wore grays with hints of muted colors, which put a spotlight on their morals and with whom they would side.
Another interesting but powerful aspect of this production was the inclusion of news articles and reports about recent environmental issues including Flint, Michigan’s water crisis and global warming. The articles leading into the theatre immediately set the tone for the production before the show had even begun, and the oral repeating of the timeline at the end of the show by the citizens delivered an immense reality check.
With the combined efforts of cast and crew, "An Enemy of the People" was an incredibly moving production filled with passion and a clear message: “We’re getting used to things we have no business getting used to.”
-Laura Samse
The University of Minnesota Duluth presents An Enemy of the People. Cast and crew have the great opportunity to work closely with playwright Tom Isbell, making for an outstanding show. The production did a fantastic job of providing a platform for timeless issues in connection with modern events.
ReplyDeleteHenrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People was adapted by Director Tom Isbell to fit more modern language and issues. Isbell’s version does great justice to lifting up these current and present ideas in a way that opens it up for a real conversation. The adaptation provides the timelessness of themes that excellently presents controversial political issues. Isbell make excellent directorial choices for his play. His decision to set the play in an arena configuration was key to the success. The intimacy allowed for the audience to feel drawn in, almost as though they themselves become a part of the experience. Isbell’s ability to show the first impression in comparison with the hidden true selves of characters was impressive.
Dr. Stockmann by Addison Sim portrays an intelligent and professional man. He makes himself a target by addressing the issues with the water. Stockmann’s battle for justice and the truth pull the viewer in one direction while the government pulls in the opposite way. Sim’s determine was missed by no one.
Patrick Timmons shocked viewers with his portrayal of Mayor Peter Stockmann. He appeared to radiate power and confidence. His persuasion skills had the audience feeling pressured to take his side. Intimidation was key to his role.
Rachel Williams as Petra Stockman was the picture of passion and emotion. She felt it was her duty to question authority figures for the greater good. Her emotional performance made the whole experience feel more real.
Leah Benson-Devine’s costume design choices helped to convey the characters personality traits in a subtle way that did not take away from the message. The mainly neutral clothing, allowed color to display individuality. It was also interesting to see the mature clothing worn by Mayor Peter Stockmann in comparison to young Petra Stockmann.
Scenic designer Kate Cornish did a nice job of using the arena seating to present the scenery. She kept the props to a minimal to keep the focus on the important messages of the play itself. The realistic set-up made you feel in place at the town hall. The movement of props as the story progressed added to the plot.
-Haley Evans
In An Enemy of the People directed by Tom Isabell an old show that feels like it is happening today. While this is an old show written by Henrik Ibsen, but Tom Isabell updates this play with modern language while the ideas behind the play are still so current. There are a lot of nods to the current political climate that allows for the play to hit home deeply with a modern audience.
ReplyDeleteProducing the play in an arena-style has both the advantages and certain disadvantages. Having moments where the actors have their back to the audience makes the interaction between actors feel much more authentic. There were moments however that the dialogue was hard to follow, but it was not often enough that it was a major problem. Making this play in an arena-style made the show all the more interesting to watch.
Isabell directs a play that has a concept of environmental protection versus business and commerce and the idea of real and fake facts. But, Isabell also took the time to adapt it for a more modern audience with more modern language to make it easier to digest since the message is still so current. Isabell raises questions of environmental protection versus business and commerce in a way that feels familiar and keywords from the current political climate.
Katherine Stockman played by Jenessa Iverson, did a great job playing the balance of the wife trying to protect her family and fight for what she thinks is right. Also Perta Stockman played by Rachel William, did a great job she brought passion and fire to the role. Another character who did a great job with her biting comments and wishy-washy attitude and that was Leah Walk who played Mary Hovstad.
Jake Nelson who played Peter Stockman did a great job making a Peter who was a monster, but at times felt like someone to cheer on. I think that Nelson found the balance and did a great job. Addison Sim played Dr. Thomas Stockman did a great job making a character to cheer for in the quest for truth.
Light designer, Lexie Cruz, does this really interesting thing with the lighting transitions by making them subtle enough that they are not noticeable until the transition is made. The costume designer, Leah Benson-Devine, does something pretty cool with the costume by giving each character their own signature color that is a part of the costume. The scenic designer, Katie Cornish, does well with the possible problems that would come with making set pieces with a play in the round so that they do not obstruct viewing in any direction. Also, all the set pieces moving to allow for many scenes to happen with few pieces.
An Enemy of the People looks at personal responsibility when it comes to environmental protection versus business and commerce. With nods to the current political climate, this very old play feels modern and very possible. Making this a play that is at the very heart of the things important to the modern person today.
UMD’s production of An Enemy of the People relayed a powerful message to the Duluth community. In director Tom Isbel’s adaptation, he sparks new conversations about controversy surrounding political authority and human impact on the environment.
ReplyDeleteCast members Rachel Williams and Patrick Timmons performed their roles quite well in Isbel’s reworking of characters. Instead of having them play their part as written in original script, Isbel worked with the student’s personalities and incorporated them within each character. Not only did they work well with their own part, but they also balanced off each other throughout the town hall scene. Their dispute seemed natural and how they acted in the scene made the audience feel as though they were actually a part of the play themselves. All of the actors portrayed their roles in way which there could be a connection between them those watching, proving a stronger overall message.
The simplistic costumes designed by Leah Benson-Devine had hues of gray which added a serious tone, but gave subtle symbols to each character through color meanings. Red in the mayor’s coat shows the anger in his personality, which can be seen with interactions between other characters and community in the town hall. Yellow in Petra’s skirt represents her hope in her father and for change of political action as she persists against authority. Green in the editor’s sweater illustrates new-beginnings as we later discover he quits his job for he no longer wanted to be in company siding with the mayor. Even though these were small pieces of color, they have a significant meaning to each role.
Lighting throughout this play placed high importance into scene emotions and set changes. Designer Lexi Cruz used both timed cues and specific lighting techniques to focus on particular moments of this production. Flashes of white in the town hall scene depicted the lightning which occurred during the climax portion of the argument, the storm between scientific proof and authority recognition in context. As for lighting as a whole, mixed color tones created a somber mood and were dimmer to highlight darker aspects of the show. When lights and moved around for a set change, electronic music played while actors walked in continuous circles, creating a feeling of spinning or time moving faster. Sound was not as prominent during this play, since there was no need for microphones in the intimate space of Dudley Theatre; however, the lights and music between acts added onto the feeling of rapid movement between long time periods.
In all, An Enemy of the People was a compelling production; this show raises the awareness for national to even global issues such as politics and climate change, giving us more to think on when going about our daily lives.
-Miah Bloom
The University of Minnesota Duluth’s An Enemy of The People brought light to an issue that has plagued nations for centuries. The original 1800’s play by Henrik Ibsen rewritten by director Tom Isbel makes for a unique experience, seeing a production that's directed by the playwright themselves. This coupled with the integrated feel given from the arena style seating of the show presented an amazing story about the fight of moral ambiguity between science, politics and press that is seen almost constantly these days.
ReplyDeletePatrick Timmons played Peter Stockmann, stubborn town mayor, and brother of Scientist Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Addison Sim). Timmons struck fear and anger into the audience members through his incredible dedication to the quite unlikeable character. In the moment there was no distinguishing him from his role, regardless of small hiccups that happened around him, he responded to any possible small mishap completely as Peter. The cold, manipulative, business savvy man was eerily perfect to shock anyone with his determination.
Rachel Williams portrayed Petra Stockman, daughter of scientist Dr. Thomas. With an adoration for justice, Petra was a familiar character to the youth of this day and age. The heaps of emotion Williams brings to the performance is nothing less than heart-wrenching as she tells the story of a young girl who just wants to believe that people will listen to the facts over what they want to hear. In a world full of plenty of injustice and moral ambiguity, it was a breath of fresh air to see an actor so committed to a role that searched for the truth.
Leah Walk plays hard-hitting newspaper publisher, Mary Hovstad. Walk accurately portrays what it’s like to be caught dead in the middle of the war between facing the facts, and keeping things comfortable. She made evident the absolute pain of being torn in two directions by a disagreement where the right answer, isn't totally clear. The ambiguity of her character is perfectly translated, as both her and the other characters, don’t know if she’s trustworthy. The most impressive part of her performance though, was the day and night difference between her demeanor when she’s teamed with Dr. Thomas, and when she’s on the side of Peter. She holds nothing back to show that she doesn’t know what to believe either.
An Enemy of The People was an impressive take on an old tale that is more than relevant in communities everywhere, presented at an opportune time to catch the attention of those who needed to see it the most.
-Sophie Druckrey
Have you ever thought about the safety of the water we drink, bathe in and even cook with. An Enemy Of The People shows how relevant the issue of water pollution is and how real of a problem we face everyday. The university of Minnesota Duluth proudly presented a new take on Enemy Of The People, taking a 1882 play and adapting it take place in the united states in 2019.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbel changed various aspects of the play to make it more relevant and speak to people of all ages. Isbel changed the language, the portrayal of female characters and certain scenes. Isbel also made a unique decision to display the play in an arena figuragion so the audience felt as they were also a member of the town.Isbel also made the decision to have no intermission, this allowed the story to flow smoothly and hold tension throughout.
Isbel paced this show on a 125 minute crunch shorting the original play but allowing the importance to still be shown.
Patrick Timmons impressed the viewers with his portrayal of Mayor Peter Stockmann. He displayed confidence and overpowering control of his town. He was conceived as the villian and sure represented that well. Timmons displayed how money was more important than the health of his town people.
Dr. stockman played by Addison Sim portrayed a very professional man who was looking out for the safety of his fellow town members. Simm was the brains behind figuring out that the town had contaminated water that was making visitors and town members ill. Sim’s eagerness to help the town is shown in the way he doesn't back down to his own brother.
Rachel Williams as Petra Stockman was a passionate daughter of timmons. She fought along with her dad to try to improve the towns well being. Stockman showed love and support for her dad and even researched and found the letter that stated that the mayor changed the position of the pipeline.
Scenic designer Katie Cornish really showed off her talent. She designed a marble floor and decorated ceiling that resembled a courtroom. She used simple chairs, a desk and painted railings to define her small place to work with.
Costume designer Leah Benson-Devine dressed the actors in mostly professional clothing. One costume that stuck out was katherine Stockmans her grey dress with purple lining resembled hope.
Overall The play was a compelling story that is very relevant in today's world. An Enemy Of the people positively affected every audience member to stand up for what they believe in.
- Abbey Smits
The play An Enemy Of The People showcased the current problems in America right now surrounding clean water as well as the reasons for why it is very controversial economically. The production portrayed the thoughts behind the corrupt leaders who caused the problem and the way the leaders hid it from the media.
ReplyDeleteThe production was a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s original AN Enemy Of The People. Though Henrik’s play didn’t concern water safety in the town it did highlight the social and political issues that were happening in a town such as the people in power not having the best interest in mind for the town and causing problems for everyone involved.
The new adaptation was created by Tom Isbell, which modernized the story and made it relate to the audience because this is happening in the world currently. Tom showed how frustrating it was for the characters involved because they were all doing what they thought was correct. The mayor didn’t want people to lose jobs, Dr. Stockmann didn’t want people to continue getting sick, and Katherine and Petra Stockmann didn’t want their father to be silenced for shedding light on the problem that was before very in the dark. Flint Michigan was addressed at the end of the play because it is where the problem began and it made things very serious and it showed the purpose for the play. The arena setting caused the characters to move around however it didn’t seem like one of the four sides had a better view and the space worked very well overall.
Addison Sim accurately portrayed Dr. Thomas Stockmann as a concerned scientist who wanted everyone in the community to be safe with the water in the community. Sim showed real passion when he spoke out against the mayor who was played by Patrick TImmons. Along with that he showed real frustration when he wasn’t able to speak out in the meeting that he set up and real fear as he sat next to his wife Katherine played by Jenessa Iverson and he caressed her shoulder the way one would when they are worried about the possible outcomes in a situation. Patrick Timmons played the mayor and I believe he portrayed what people see when they think of corrupt mayors. An example is that he said throughout the play “I don’t care about the facts” and that relates to the modern day in the way that corrupt officials don’t care about the consequences as long as money is being made or saved.
The costume designer made it very obvious for the audience to see the occupation of each character in the clothes they wore. Peter Stockmann the Mayor wore a suit which is accurate for a city official, Dr. Stockmann wore glasses with a tucked in white short sleeve dress shirt which symbolized that he was a scientist, Katherine Stockmann wore a purple dress which represented her role in the community as a teacher, and Petra Stockmann wore very casual clothes to symbolize that she was a college student. It was very appropriate for them to dress this way to show where each character is placed in the town.
The play showed a story that is still going on to this day and could possibly be used as a call to action for some people if they were unaware of the problems with clean water currently. The play opened up the eyes of everyone in the audience and will continue as this play becomes more and more popular around the country.
-Derek Rache
University of Minnesota Duluth’s production of An Enemy of the People was adapted by playwright and director, Tom Isabel. To suit the more modern-day taste and issues, Isabel adapted the nearly 140 year old play with new language and context that would be easier to understand and relate to. The original play was written in 1882 and during that time, science was focused on disproving spontaneous generation. Even though there was evidence of bacteria growth and that these illnesses weren’t random, people still did not want to believe the truth. That same concept is what drives An Enemy of the People. The spa that drives the town's economy is swarming with disease but the mayor will not fix it as it will take too long to fix and cost the town millions.
ReplyDeleteThe frustration and anger that resonated from both sides of the argument could be felt as though it was a real conflict. Thomas Stockman, (Addison Sim) and Peter Stockman, (Patrick Timmons) were brothers clashing against one another, both wanting to be right. In An Enemy of the People, Thomas is the spas leading physician. He finds that the water is contaminated and fears for the townspeople and tourists. Peter, the town's mayor, refuses to listen to Thomas’ advice of fixing the water supply and pressures the town to form an alliance against Thomas.
Sim was excellent as the role of Dr. Thomas Stockman. As an actor, it is important to blur the line between reality and fantasy. Sim pulled that off very well. The tone of his voice wasn’t sounding as if he was reading off a script or reciting from memory, it sounded like his own words. He created this illusion of sincerity, making the audience believe that he was truly concerned for the people. Timmons however, spoke more like a politician, as his character was the mayor. This seemed like an intentional decision. Although people say they don’t trust politicians, they do tend to win over the majority and this is what happened in An Enemy of the People.
Lighting was designed by Lexie Cruz, a junior at UMD. She focused her work on creating more of a feeling with the light. Cruz changed the color of the light with the current emotion that the actors had. The scene where Thomas is dead, wandering around lost, the lighting expresses this as well. The stage becomes a scattered hue of blue and to most, this shows sadness and a deep sense of loss. Drew Check was the sound designer and helped create some of the most important parts of the play. From the use of thunder during long heated arguments to the chanting of townspeople casting out Thomas, Check used these small details to help the audience become entranced.
As the play ended, actors who played citizens came on stage to further explain why this play still has meaning. Clean and safe water was an issue 140 years ago and it is still an issue today. Striking the audience with shocking information about the United States' own problems makes them realize that these issues are in our own backyard. Even if Thomas couldn’t save the town, that doesn’t mean that his family gave up. They still wanted to persist in the face of adversity. This is something that we all should consider.
Raelynn Schuety
Even though “An Enemy of the People” was written in 1882 the problems discussed in this play are still very relevant today. Tom Isbell’s adaption of Henrik Ibsen’s play was a good representation of the problems in the world today. His choice of using the Dudley Theatre was an interesting choice for this play, but nevertheless it worked out great. It got the audience involved and made us feel like we were really sitting in that courtroom.
ReplyDeleteLexie Cruz was the lighting designer for this play, and I think she did a great job. The lighting techniques used in this play really helped set the mood for the scenes. She used lighting to make the storm in this play very realistic and she used it to help the scene transitions. For the courtroom scene Cruz used florescent lighting to make it really feel like a courtroom, which was a good touch.
Rachel Williams played the role of Petra Stockman, and she did a great job bringing this role to life. Because the audience was so close to the actors, watching their facial expressions really helped draw the audience in even more. Williams’s acting was very good, and you would really think she was hurting and in pain. She was a great choice for the role of Petra Stockman.
Patrick Timmons took on the role of Peter Stockman. His portrayal of this small town mayor really makes you want to second guess all politicians intentions. While he did a great job with this role, the one thing I could stop noticing was how much he spit while he was talking. I am not an actor, so I don’t know if this is a technique they use, but I do know I didn’t want him to come near me whenever he faced the audience to go on a rant.
Addison Sim played the role of Dr. Thomas Stockman and did a pretty good job. Although, he could be more believable in some scenes his overall performance was good. The one thing that stood out to me was how he wasn’t that believable in the courtroom scene. This scene was all about the Stockman’s being shamed by his own brother in front of the whole town and being betrayed by his friends. This scene is about his anger and frustration and he could have done a much better job showing it. I am no exert, but I know that if you don’t really show anger in these scenes it will only come off as cheesy.
Overall, this play was very well directed, put together, and performed. Even though it was written in 1882, the problems in this play are still very relevant today. The actors and actresses really showed us that, yes this is a play, but it is also a wakeup call to how horribly we treat the earth and how there hasn’t been much action taken.
The play An Enemy of the People was a well thought out drama that still keeps its relevance in todays society. Writer Henrik Ibsen did a great job writing such a timeless and important story. There were many amazing morals or lessons to learn from this play.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbell did a nice job adapting this play. I thought his choice in actors was very impressive and how he picked each actor for each role was really nicely done. The specific tone or mood that was created in this play was very interesting. The underlying moral or theme and concept of this play is a very serious and heavy one and the overall tone really helped emphasize the importance of this theme and concept. Isbell's choice in adding the dialogue at the end about real life situations that related to the play was a very strong move. It brought many to tears and it was very beautifully thought out and executed.
Costume and makeup designer, Leah Benson-Devine did an amazing job with creating costumes and makeup for every character so that it matched each characters personality but it also matched the tone or mood of the play. The tone of the play was quite serious and intense. Each and every characters costume was very dulled down and muted. There were a lot of greys, blacks, and whites in everyone's costumes. Benson-Devine added some color to each character as to make sure that it wasn’t too boring. Each characters makeup was very simple as to make sure not to draw too much focus on any particular character. Not a single costume was over the top and no characters makeup was too intense to take away from the very important story of the play.
Lexie Cruz, the lighting designer did a magnificent job with creating lighting that matched each particular scenes mood. If the scene was more serious and sorrow she would use much cooler toned lighting to light the stage and if the scene was more light hearted she would use warmer lighting. She also did a great job with the lighting during the transitions of the play.
The actors in this play clearly put a lot of their heart and soul into this play. Rachel Williams who plays Petra Stockman did a great job of acting out and building her frustration her character felt as the plot went on. She also did a great job making her character easy to relate to for college students. Dr. Thomas Stockman and Peter Stockman's characters individually were very nice conflicting characters. However it was hard to imagine how these two were brothers throughout the play. The two seemed as just rivals, not family rivals. They didn’t seem connected in the brotherly way that one may have hoped. Eukariah Tabaka's character, Alan Billing was a great addition to the very serious dark play. He was the comedic relief everyone needed.
This is a very sophisticated play with a lot of real life issues that people deal with today. This play is for those who can appreciate that. An Enemy of The People is intended for a more mature audience, otherwise those who may not be as mature, may not see the beauty and well thought outness of the play.
This November UMD theater presented the ever topical play, An Enemy of the People. The play was originally written in 1882 by Henrik Ibsen, but was adapted to fit a modern audience by director Tom Isbell. By adapting the play, Isbell wasn’t only able to change the language so audiences today could understand, but also shed light on issues which people may not be aware of, such as the fight between ethics and profit. He included specific examples of current local and global concerns at the beginning and end of the show to prove just how relevant the topic is.
ReplyDeleteIn directing the play, Tom Isbell made interesting decisions. It seemed like anytime someone had a line, they also moved. In the confrontation scene it almost made it seem like a game of chase. While a tad distracting, overall, the movement worked to show the pressure and intensity of the scene. During scene changes, the actors would walk in a circle while moving set pieces. As the show went on, the characters going against the majority began to walk in the opposite direction of everyone else, symbolizing them going against everyone and making their own path.
Rachel Williams played Petra Stockman, college aged daughter of Thomas Stockmann. Williams was in the moment the entire time. She was passionate about her beliefs and was fully invested in proving her point. In the confrontation scene she even shed real tears. Williams is a phenomenal actor and excelled at playing Petra.
Patrick Timmons played Peter Stockmann, mayor of the town. He was passionate about keeping the town alive no matter what it takes, including ignoring its poisoned water supply. His passion showed through the most in the confrontation scene. He was willing to do anything to keep Thomas from saying anything about the poisoned water. Timmons let his anger build until the climax of the scene and exploded on Williams at the perfect moment.
Katie Cornish designed the set. It included a few chairs, a table and rolling banisters. The simplicity of it made it ideal for arena seating and allowed the audience to focus on the action of the scene. Throughout the play, more banisters were added around the stage eventually turning the stage into a courtroom. After the action calmed down some banisters were removed, allowing the audience back into the private life of the Stockmanns.
An Enemy of the People was a wonderfully relevant play that inspired its audience to think more about the world around them.
-Sydney Hoglund
A water crisis, government cover up and betrayal of morals in the name of money all wrapped up into one moving piece An Enemy of the People adapted and directed by Tom Isbell. Although the original script was written well over one hundred years ago the issues still are present and impact the world of today.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbell adapted An Enemy of the People from the original playwright by Henrik Ibsen. Isbell chose to make the connection between the poisoned waters of the fictional spring to the poisoned water of Flint Michigan. Drawing in this issue brings the urgency of the play off the stage and into the real world; making the play re-memorable. Having the citizens sitting with the audience was a very impactful directorial choice. Since the play was performed in an arena style the addition of the citizens with the audience created a special bond. Isbell gave an older play new life by making it relevant to today’s society.
Costume designer Leah Benson-Devine made many effective creative decisions when it came to costuming. The gray scale many of the actors donned helped draw attention away from what they were wearing to more of what they were saying. Those that held powerful, influence wore clothes that showed such. This made a visual between those that had power, and those that didn’t. Benson-Devine’s costume designs played a very important role in the successful impact of the production.
The lighting designed by Lexie Cruz helped create the intense and urgent mood of the story. The twisted, flashing lights between scene changes made for a seamless change. The red folder had an important part in the play and a beam of light ignited it every time it made an appearance. The weight could be felt before the lines were spoken. Lighting also helped create a warm glow in the Stockman home, a normal family. Once Peter enters the golden light turns cold and the mood has changed, completely changing the vibe of the scene. Cruz created all these little parts to envelope the audience into the show and make it feel real.
Addison Sim enveloped himself in his character Dr. Thomas Stockmann. Sim’s enthusiasm shone through in his dedication to save the people the spa would have hurt. It was obvious this real life issue was something Sim really cared about, the passion was very evident. The way Sim interacted with his “brother” seemed real, the tension could be felt throughout the blackbox.
Leah Walk embodied the strong, vocal character of Mary Hovstad. Walk with her confident stride and slicked back hair truly represented a powerful newspaper publisher. Walk did a very good job of concealing her emotions. Throughout the performance, it was very difficult to know exactly who’s side she was on, which created a very successful, complex character.
An Enemy of the People was another successful UMD theater production. Not only was it entertaining but it held a powerful impact to those that watched. All those that had a hand in the show should be proud, they truly outdid themselves.
-Caitlin Tschida
Though originally written in 1882 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People tackles concepts relevant to today. University of Minnesota, Duluth professor Tom Isbell captivated the audience each night with his modern adaption. Isbell’s contemporary adaption tells the story of a town and its spa. When Dr. Thomas Stockmann discovers contaminated water at the local spa, he writes a shocking report bound to stir up his relationship with town as well as brother. Dr. Thomas Stockmann’s brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann, puts his reputation before the town’s safety when he decides not to fix the spa’s contaminated water.
ReplyDeleteThough Isbell follows the original 1882 plot, he puts a modern twist on it creating a timeless show. Isbell intertwines the current tragedy occurring in Flint, Michigan today. This adaption also hints at other local and national problems tastefully hidden within the text. Isbell also decided to set the show within an arena configuration, meaning the audience members sat on all four sides of the actors. The arena stage created a more personal for both the audience members and the cast.
Costume designer Leah Benson-Devine goes along with Tom Isbell’s ageless feel with their costuming choices. Some characters, like Alan Billing, played by Jake Nelson, wore a modern outfit consisting of skinny jeans and a sweater. Others contrasted this modern feel with a more dated look of a 1960’s inspired pantsuit. The use of “clashing” eras only fed into the timeless effect of the production.
Lighting designer Lexie Cruz creates incredible moments with their lighting choices. When the production started, a warm hue shone on the characters and set giving a comforting feeling to those in the Dudley Theater. As the conflict rose, the lights ever-so-slowly turned to a colder blue and white hue. Cruz was able to change the whole emotion of the show with their lighting expertise. At the height of the play, the lights, as well as the emotions, changed. All of a sudden, the lights pointed from each corner of the arena-style theater directly towards the actors on stage intensifying the scene.
This production consisted of a core group of main characters, one being University of Minnesota, Duluth senior, Rachel Williams. Williams played passionate teen advocate, Petra Stockmann. Her performance was nothing short of tear-jerking and thought provoking. Another noteworthy actor is UMD junior, Patrick Timmons who convincingly played malevolent Mayor Peter Stockmann. Each actor apart of this small 11-person cast brought passion and talent in their own ways. Tom Isbell’s timeless adaption of The Enemy of the People acted as a cautionary tale for our current environment as well as an emotional and unforgettable production.
Madelyn Schumacher
An Enemy of the People is a production that is not afraid to bring awareness to political and economic problems our country is facing. This is a play that emphasizes the true nature of humanity and the selfishness that, unfortunately, dominates the political systems around the world. An Enemy of the People pulls no punches while following the emotional journey of a man wanting to expose the truth for the good of his town and loved ones.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbel took Henrik Ibsens original 1882 production and adapted it to better fit today’s societal issues. Isbel’s adjustments were a huge contribution to this plays success. The idea to use an arena style theater brought these real life problems to life and allowed the audience to feel as if they were part of this performance. The lack of an intermission kept the high intensity on full volume throughout the whole performance. Isbel also adjusted the script, so the language felt more modern and relatable to a younger generation. Isbel’s adaptations added a new feeling of intimacy to the performance, overall.
Thomas Stockman, played by Addison Sim, is a man motivated by nothing other than what is right. Sim was able to portray a soft and gentle personality when it came to family but proved his dominance when it came to fighting for what is right. Sim connected with the audience by making eye contact with them and made the audience feel as if they are part of the conversation. Sim was able to appeal to the audience’s empathy and drive people to make the right choices morally.
Rachel Williams had no struggles bringing Petra Stockman to life. Williams portrayed a lovable young woman who was not afraid to stand up for what was right. She stole all of the audience's attention in several scenes. For example, when she was arguing with Peter Stockman, there was a spark in her that truly portrayed her deep passion about the problem on hand.
The protagonist, Peter Stockman portrayed by Patrick Timmons, was a very convincing villain. He was able to remain stern and serious throughout the production. Although the audience was aware he was the bad guy, his valid arguments had everyone questioning their beliefs. Timmon’s never made his presence unknown and always kept the audience wondering what his next move was.
Lighting designer, Lexie Cruz, was able to set the moods throughout the whole production. During arguments she would dim the lights to create a more tense atmosphere. This lighting change was not obvious, but it was just enough to convey a shift in the overall mood. Cruz also added multiple colors, as well as different movements to the lights to help portray different emotions.
An Enemy of the People was able to open the eyes to many about problems society as been blind to in the past. Not only was it an intriguing production filled with talented actors, but it sparked a new and important conversation.
-Allie Steinmetz
The recent adaption of “An Enemy of the People” by Tom Isbell proves how a play can remain applicable through the ages. The performance done at the Dudley Theatre, created a close, daunting performance, bringing the audience close to the situation. The production brought old thoughts, to new light.
ReplyDeleteAs the performance goes on, the audience is casted into a spell of intense monologue, and acting that brought the characters to life. Tom Isbell’s adaption of this performance created a more modern form of the play originally created in 1882. Isbell, the director, brought political stigmas to light including those about climate change, and corrupt politicians. Isbell kept true to the original playwright, but was still able to bring his own work into the performance.
The play, centered around a battle between two brothers in a small town, brought family issues into the matter, by showing two people, grown up in the same household, with two very different personalities. The two brothers Dr. Thomas Stockmann, played by Addison Sim, and Peter Stockmann played by Patrick Timmons, gave a beautiful performance of two very opposite, strong, and opinionated characters. The brothers’ feud created a much more personal feel to the performance, helping the audience really grab ahold of the play.
Sim and Timmons, gave a mind altering performance. Both actors, shaping two different characters, were very bold and confident. Sim, was strong, determined, and gave confidence in his performance. He gave a kind heart to the production, one that the people could easily relate to. Timmons, daring and wonderful in his role, gave a creative, villain-like side to the play. His way of working himself into the audience, brought shivers down my spine. He did a beautiful job of playing into his character.
Petra Stockmann (Rachel Williams), the daughter of Dr. Thomas Stockmann, played a feisty college student. She was underestimated for her age, but was just as stuck in her ways as her father. Williams was passionate in her character, and that showed through in her performance. Her body language pushed her passion into the crowd. Her monologue towards the ending of the play, proved her courage, and her understanding of the deeper meaning of the performance.
The end of the performance was daunting. The last few minutes of the play, many of the came out and tied the play all together by bringing in real life, modern day issues that related well to the theme of the play. The performance was one to make those who have seen it, walk out of there wondering.
-Calista Walker
An enemy of the people put on at UMD was a marvelous adaptation to a classic that touched on very current and controversial issues in our world today. This play pushed you to ask a question about how our society functions today and gave a lot of active thinking for the audience. The main ideas of this play was how facts can be distorted by the people in power, and if addressing the issue outweighs other costs it will affect.
ReplyDeleteThe Director Tom Isabelle made executed a lot of different choices in this play very well. The main one being that the choice to have the play set up in a stadium seating where the audience is all around the stage. This is a hard thing to do, because of figuring out how to make it so that everyone could see the actors and the props were not distracting from any angle of the scene. The stadium seating was executed very well and smoothly by having only the necessary props on stage and practicing for the actors to be able to speak to everyone. By having this seating Tom Isabelle made the play feel more intimate, especially at the scene in the courtroom which made you feel like you were part of the court. A choice about the scripting I found very interesting was how real life facts about Flint Michigan were added making the story feel a lot more real and problematic.
The costume design in this play chosen by Leah Benson-Devine was very well done and fitted each character very well. The costume that I thought was most well done was on the character Petra. Petra is the daughter to Dr.Thomas Stockman and is a college student returning home for break. The actor playing Petra was the same age as the others on stage, but Leah was able to give her a look that made her seem younger than the rest of the cast and a college student. The other character that i Thought was really well done for dressing was Peter Stockman the town mayor. The actor that played Peter was very well groomed and wore a suit throughout the play. The way that Peter looked is how I would imagine a mayor would look.
An enemy of the people a new adaptation is a play worth seeing that will make laugh, cry, and think all at the same time. This play will remain timeless that touches on an issue that always seems to be prevalent in our sociaty.
-Kevin Keely
The play An Enemy of the People does a great job of addressing a social issue that has been present for a long time. The issue is that of pollution in water and this issue has been around in the past and is still present in modern times. The play An Enemy of the People was originally written by Henrik Ibsen in 1882.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbell does an amazing job of making this play that is over one hundred years old, able to work in present time. At the end of the play he decided to leave the play without the solution to the main problem of the play, made it feel real as in real life it takes sometimes years to fix these problems.
Addison Sim (Dr. Thomas Stockmann) did a great job at playing the man who wanted to do something good for the town. He also did a great job at showing his concern and his passion for the role to try and get the water cleaned. He present the facts of the contaminated water with real passions. Rachel Williams played the daughter of Thomas Stockmann, Petra Stockmann. She is a university student concerned with the future of her town and tries and advocates for the issued to be fixed. She does a good of showing her emotion and passion on the subject. On the other side of the political issue is Peter Stockmann played by Patrick Timmons, he did a good job of playing the mayor that did not want to fix the issue and ignore the facts because of how it would affect his reelection and how the citizens thought of him. He presented himself as self-centered much how most people perceive politicians.
The plays set is simple and more is added to it in the transitions of the acts of the play up until the climax of the play that ends up in the set being in a courtroom. Also between the transitions the cast would walk around in a circle with a dark blue light spinning and some music that added to the suspense of the play and that helped to build the suspense of what might happen next.
The play was full of intense emotions and then turned sad at the end of the play when main character Thomas Stockmann died and the fact that he died before any resolution of the water issue made it more emotional.
At the end of the play some of the minor actors talked about some current issues with water pollution. They talked about the issue in Flint, Michigan and the steps made to try and resolve this issue. They did this in order to say that his problem is still present and will most likely continue to happen until we do something to make a change.
-Brady Garcia
The University of Minnesota Duluth’s powerful production of An Enemy of the People addresses the issue of water pollution that has had an effect in the past and has continued to be a relevant issue. It is critical to solve the issue of water pollution, but the solution doesn't come easy with a narcissistic town mayor.
ReplyDeleteThe director of this powerful adaption is Tom Isbell. Isbell adapted the play An Enemy of the People written by Henrik Isben in 1882 to fit into the present year of 2019. Along with creating the play to fit into the present time in Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey, Isbell also made other effective choices. The actors walking in circular motions kept the intensity of the play during transitions while also keeping the audience engaged. Isbell chose to place the production in an arena configuration which created intimacy between the audience and actors.
Addison Sim played the role of Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a concerned scientist who was determined to find a way in making the water safe for his community. Sim showed true passion within his character and stood up to his brother Peter Stockmann for what was morally right. Sim involved the audience by making eye contact looking for sympathy and others to follow him with making the right choice.
Patrick Timmons played the role of Peter Stockmann the town mayor who created anger and fear through other actors as well as the audience. Timmons efficiently portrays his role of the antagonist by being more concerned with his self-image and the cost it would take to solve the water pollution issue rather than thinking about what is best for his community. During the town meeting Timmons speech was convincing and built with such anger it felt as if people were taking his side out of fear especially when he snapped at Petra Stockmann his own niece. Timmons stayed in character throughout the play which was very convincing and led the audience to anticipate what his next action would be.
Petra Stockmann played by Rachel Williams is the niece of Patrick and the daughter of Dr. Thomas in An Enemy of the People. Williams portrayed her character as a young woman who had no problem with standing up for what was right. When she stood up to her Uncle in the town hall scene it was impressive that once he snapped at her tears immediately came down her face. Audience members could relate to William because sher character was also a college students who proved that no matter what your age is, you can stand up for your beliefs.
During the town hall meeting the sound designer Drew Check made the effective choice of adding storm sound effects. During the most intense parts of the meeting thunder noises would strike helping create the intensity of that part of the play. Also the sound of rain would be heard in the background of what the actors were arguing about. Hearing the sound of rain also allowed the audience to focus on the issue of water pollution.
Overall, the production of An Enemy of the People shed a light on the issue of water pollution issues and regulations that may become worse which has an important relevance of what is going on in our world today. This play was much more than a play proving that a movement needs to be made in creating a safe environment.
-Eme Erickson
Profit and greed versus the environmental movement. An Enemy of the People, a play put on by the University of Minnesota Duluth, explored the corrupt world of business and avarice.
ReplyDeleteOriginally written in 1882 by Henrik Isben, Director Tom Isbell took the challenge of adapting this play and applying it to the present world. This play was far from comedic, and took a large stance against corrupt politics and climate change. Although the play was written in the 1800’s, Isbell adapted it to make it relevant to the present. At the end of the performance, the tragedy of Flint, Michigan was mentioned to really strike the audience’s engagement and prove that these issues are still current. His decision to have the play in an arena configuration made the performance more intimate and allowed the audience to feel apart of the town.
Patrick Timmons portrayed the town’s mayor, Peter Stockmann. Stockmann was a sly and perfidious politician. Portrayed as a villan, he committed no justified action and instead embodied a man full of greed that was concerned more about politics and money than the health of the town and its citizens.
Doctor Thomas Stockman, played by Addison Sim, embodied a character with a great moral compass who worked to expose the truth about the water supply in the town. Because of this, the mayor (his brother), labels him as an enemy of the people because he wants change and the water issue to be fixed. His daughter, Petra Stockmann, fights for the truth even though she is matched against her uncle. Petra being a college student, is a wonderful example of the power and relentlessness of the younger generations who are currently fighting for justice and the environment.
Lighting designer, Lexie Cruz, brought the play to life and accurately embodied the emotions portrayed on stage through her lighting design choices. The transitions in the play were marked with a blue light and allowed the audience to take a breather and decipher what had just occurred. Beyond this, her lighting capabilities emulated deeper emotions and intensified the acting and story taking place on the stage. Without the lighting, the play would still exist, however, the lighting brought the play to a whole other level and allowed the emotions on stage to be even more intensified and widespread.
Costume designer, Leah Benson-Devine, created grey-scale costumes for each of the characters. However, each character had their own color creatively woven into each of their costumes. The mayor, Patrick Timmons, had a dark suit with hints of red incorporated into it. This showcased his power and confirmed his association with danger and greed. Because the characters were all different ages, Leah Benson-Devine dressed the character Petra in a more casual costume, and the older characters in a more sophisticated or elegant design to portray the age difference.
An Enemy of the People tackled the issue of corrupt politicians and the greed that prevents communities to thrive and its citizens to remain healthy. Although this play was originally written in 1882, its’ ideas and issues are all to real and directly affect humans today.
-Alli Szewczynski
The Enemy of the People was a controversial and engaging performance done by the University of Minnesota Duluth. The discussion of politics, morality, and environmental crises is extremely relevant to today’s society. The relevance to the present issues engaged the audience in an emotional way. The Enemy of the People was timeless, which allowed each generation of the audience connect to the performance in an individual way. It was also informative on an issue that was relevant in our history, in the present time, and will be relevant in the future as well.
ReplyDeleteThe lighting designer, Lexie Cruz, made a number of unique choices. She utilized the lights to engage the audience’s emotions; she was able to accomplish this through dim lights and long lighting cues. She created lighting cues that would slowly change, dimming the lights over a significant period of time, so that the change was gradual and unrecognizable without a conscience effort. Another unique lighting choice that Cruz made was the transitions. She uniquely portrayed sunrises, sunsets, and a rainy evening through the colors of the lights, which added depth to the minimalistic setting.
The playwright and director, Tom Isbell, fantastically created a timeless performance. He created a performance that was relatable for each of the audience members. He portrayed the message that the water issue is not an issue of the past, but it is relevant today as well. Isbell also made unique choices, such as the transitions from scene to scene. Rather than the lights going black and the actors leaving the stage, there was a lighting transition and the actors walked in a circle. This was extremely beneficial because it maintained the audience’s engagement and emotions. There were no opportunities during the performance for audience members to lose focus because there was never an empty stage with no actors on it. It was evident that Isbell allowed the actors the liberty of forming emotional connections with the audience however they thought to be effective. This was beneficial because each actor portrayed their message differently, which engaged the audience’s emotions even more.
Dr. Thomas Stockmann, performed by Addison Sim, performed flawlessly. He was able to connect with the audience in a short amount of time. He portrayed himself to be an awful, hideous man, who cared more about his own name than his family. The audience rapidly formed negative feelings and ideas of his character. Petra Stockmann, performed by Rachel Williams, portrayed her emotions wonderfully. She portrayed fury and sadness through her body. She also engaged the audience’s emotions through her physical performance; tears, smiles, and fury.
The costume designer, Leah Benson-Devine, did a wonderful job of portraying the actor’s personalities through their costumes. The mayor, who was the wealthiest character, wore an expensive suit which portrayed that he prioritized money. The journalist wore dark lipstick and slicked hair, which portrayed that she was sophisticated. This was successful in displaying each character’s personality without question of their individualized characteristics.
The relevancy of this performance to today’s society created a sense of urgency in the audience. It is important to be urgent about caring for the environment because the issue of polluted water is not an issue of the past. This performance portrayed this urgency wonderfully.
-Mardi Ehrmantraut
An Enemy of the People, a well performed and great adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play. It was enticing and thrilling all the way to the end. The actors put on an amazing performance and everything from the set to lighting was on point. The director and playwright Tom Isabell brought this performance into today. He wrote each character as if the actor playing them was born to play them. From the subtle lines that connected it to current events and the updated terminology that helped everyone follow the play perfectly. It was an incredible thing to watch. The Lighting Designer Lexie Cruz did an incredible job. The transitions were perfect, as the actors walked in a circle center stage, the lights above moved with them. Making it look as if they were in a teleporter moving to a different place and time. Also, the cues to show the most climatic points of the play were done perfectly with the lights. The brightest point was at the climax, and once it had passed it moved back down and kept going till it was just a single spotlight on two lone characters.
ReplyDeleteAll the actors and actresses did an incredible portraying their characters but two stood out amounts them. Rachel Williams had a very strong and devoted performance playing Petra, the good scientist devoted daughter. Even before the main issue had arose, her stance was made strong. Her character already well developed as a strong-willed person who would not back down from any situation. As the play continued, we saw her put it to good use against every opponent that got in her way. Each line was spoken perfectly and the long almost monologue was delivered with perfection.
The other great standout was Patrick Timmons as Peter Stockman the Mayor and main opponent throughout the play. His performance was so good you began to almost hate him. From the start he was cocky and argent. Not giving a care about anything other than his own personal motives. This was backed up as we saw him throughout the play completely disregard his family as anything other then enemy of the people. He made you truly think that he was the cold-hearted bastard all the way to the core.
After the final scene, they presented the audience with the real-world connections of not just the events but some of the most pivotal lines in the play. It backed up the plays already great credentials. Not only has this play related to many events throughout history but to ones we are currently still dealing with today. Everyone who was a part of this play deserves all the credit they can get. One of the best plays I’ve seen and some of the best performances as well.
~Davis Rondeau
ReplyDeletePresented by students and faculty of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, An Enemy of The People covered a mainstream problem that we still struggle with in the world to this day- the problem and consequences of water pollution. The play portrayed the conflicts and issues that could arise when this problem is controlled and dictated by powerful and selfish representatives.
The Playwright was a Norwegian man named Henrik Ibsen. When writing the play, the entire plot and issue regarding water pollution was relevant to Ibsen at the time, and it is still a relevant problem in our communities today. Ibsen was able to express the fact that people with political power aren’t always going to be honest and do what’s best for the people, though that’s their job.
Adapted by director, Tom Isabel, An Enemy of The People was a well-rounded performance that was relevant to the past, present, and the future. Isabel was able to take a play that was originally performed in 1883, and make it completely relevant to our world and community today.
Doctor Thomas Stockman, performed by Addison Sim, is a visionary for the well-being of the people in the community. Sim’s performance of Dr. Stockman was exceptional, as he was able to be assertive and dominant in fighting for what he believed, he was also able to be soft and caring with his family. Sim was able to engage with the audience through eye contact, which in fact helped enforce a feeling of being inside of the courtroom.
Patrick Timmons played the role of Peter Stockman, the brother of Thomas Stockman. Peter Stockman was evidently the antagonist of the play, through his character of a corrupt politician. Throughout the performance, he stood and spoke with a serious and convincing demeanor. He had a good argument, although the audience was able to understand that he was the foe. Timmons kept the audience unsure of his next move, creating an everlasting feeling of suspense.
The lighting throughout the performance was very effective at setting various moods. The lighting would dim and change colors, though it was incredibly slow, making it hard to notice the change in the audience. The decisions made by Lexie Cruz regarding the lighting of the performance proved to be successful at creating different feelings in the audience.
UMD’s performance of An Enemy of The People featured a problem that is still relevant even 136 years later. Comprised of a very talented cast, the performance was able to create a wide variety of emotions, as well as raise concern to a modern problem in our ecosystem, and our political system.
-Danny Benson
What means more to you? Money or ethics? This is the main theme of An Enemy of The People, a production run by the UMD Stage 2 team. This performance is an amazing combination of intense acting, smooth lighting work, and audience setup. The play is set in an arena style with audience members on all sides of the actors.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbell did a great job adapting an 1882 play into modern day issues. This production is heavily relatable to problems linked with the Flint, Michigan health hazards that have recently been sparked.
Petra Stockmann, played by Rachel Williams is a curious college student who is not afraid to stick her nose into problems. Williams did an incredible job portraying Petra. She used a lot of emotion in her lines and even included small acts like drinking out of a glass once and awhile to create a more real scene. Williams also had very good volume that made the serious scenes seem more serious and the sad scenes appear to be darker.
Patrick Timmons plays the role of Peter Stockmann, the mayor of the booming town. Mayor Stockmann is very arrogant and seems to worry only about money and not the health of the people in the community. Timmons creates believable inflection in his voice to fit the arrogance of Peter Stockmann. Just this inflection alone helps Peter seem to be the villain of the production.
Light Board Operator, Trevor Hendrix was tasked with intense lighting work. When given the task, he delivered. The production is filled with different light schemes and transitions. Just these alone seems to be very demanding. The lighting is one part that made the play very great. In between scenes, there was spinning lights that helped show the audience the transition, from scene to scene.
Another aspect that added to the production was how the seating was arranged. The Blackbox theatre is setup as an arena style stage. This makes the audience as a whole closer to the actors. Not only does the distance help, but the aspect of not seeing the actors all of the time helps. It makes it seem as if you, the audience member, are a part of the production. This makes the play more immersive and engaging.
Overall, the acting during this production is nothing short of expectations, if not they exceeded them. Along with the success in acting and interpreting, the lighting greatly aided the movement of the play. The lighting created smooth transitions and helped set intense moods in intense parts of the play and a dark mood during the tragic parts of the play. Also, the style of seating helped create a more immersive atmosphere that was very engaging.
-Jeremy Carter
Tom Isbell’s adaptation of An Enemy of The People did a great job of showing problems that exist in today’s world. From water pollution to political corruption, the play captures the audience in an emotional and powerful performance.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbell arranged the play in an arena format, which helped create more tension and brought the audience into the action. He also did an exceptional job choosing a cast that was able to create a very authentic performance.
Playing the very intelligent Dr. Thomas Stockmann was Addison Sim. He did a great job showing Stockmann’s passionate character. Throughout the play Sim displayed great line memorization and confident composure. This was shown multiple times in the play as Dr. Stockmann attempted to get people's support to shutdown the Spa due to the toxic water.
Dr. Stockmann’s partner in justice and daughter Petra Stockmann (Rachel Williams) delivered a striking performance. Williams did a wonderful job showing the determined and equity seeking person that Petra was. This was best shown during the town meeting in the courthouse, where Williams showed an emotional performance fighting for what she believed in.
Peter Stockmann (Patrick Timmons) played the role of a reputation seeking and money hungry mayor. Timmons did a remarkable job of portraying his role by really making people believe that he held the same values as his character. This was shown in the meeting scene when Peter was making his argument to keep the Spa open. Timmons made eye contact with audience members when he was talking and it seemed as if people were taking his side.
Another well done part of the play was the sound and lighting. Sound designer Drew Check did a great job of creating a realistic sounding storm during the town meeting. With the sound of rain and lightning making it seem as if there was actually a storm outside. It was also a clever addition to make the severeness of the storm directly correlated to how intense the argument was during the meeting. Lighting designer Lexie Cruz helped make the lightning more realistic with the addition of bright flashes of light after the sound of lightning was made.
Overall, Tom Isbell’s adaptation of An Enemy of the People did a great job of portraying how sometimes power is needed to get things done. It also brought awareness to issues in modern day society like pollution that needs to be addressed. The cast did an amazing job tying all these aspects together and creating a memorable play that everyone should see.
-Dmitry Christensen
This production gives us the best eye opening question. What does it take to do the right thing, at what cost? An Enemy of the People, a production presented by students and faculty of Minnesota-Duluth. This show gives us a lens of one family struggling with what is right, and how to act upon it.
ReplyDeleteThis show was originally written in 1882 by Henrik Isben, and Director Tom Isbell adapted this play to represent a more modern picture of how our world deal with these similar issues that the original version face. Isbell made some great choices to actually fit into modern day in Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey. Isbell also made some fantastic choices in the way he chose to transition which was by having the actors walk in a circular motion, thus keeping the intensity and keeping the audience glued to the arena staging configuration opening it up to everyone in the audience. Isbell truly nailed the intimacy and facing this modern issue all in one show.
Petra Stockmann, who was played by Rachel Williams, really did an amazing job with such a unique part to this story. Being the daughter of Thomas, the person that discovered that the spa had poisonous waters, she showed what that character would go through physically and doing so with such a great dramatic interpretation. The moment when she did a complete 360 staring the audience down with tears in her eyes being the perfect example of her talent. Her moments with Peter, arguing with him during the town hall meeting were a true dramatic climax and showed a great young and passionate person that most people can relate to.
This plays set was extremely unique. It began very simple, and as the scenes got more intense the actors would add along parts to it to show that it was truly becoming an arena. There was never any confusion as to what was where and why, this set was something to note as the show went on and was stripped after the climax of the show.
The lighting designer, Lexie Cruz, truly brought the show to life with the lighting in this show. Showing colors during set times in the show to reflect the emotions of the actors on-stage, and during the circular transitions that happened throughout the show. With the way the show was lit, it let the audience understand the show and the production itself at such a deeper level. Without this lighting designer, this show would have been seen in a different light.
Patrick Timmons was the actor that portrayed the town's mayor, Peter Stockmann. This character reflected the question of the show that is, what do you do to keep your people thriving, with something you choose to ignore, or face together. Peter Stockmann is the brother of Thomas, the person that releases the documents about the poisoned spa. This character was most concerned with money and the politics of his town, never seeming to admit that the issue of the spa is as big as it inevitably is.
An Enemy of the People was another all around impressive production by the theatre department at UMD. It reflects problems that we are facing in this modern day, done so with a script that was written over 100 years ago. Overall the people that put on this production should hold their heads high after that truly mesmerizing show.
-Jake Lieder
The play An Enemy of the People is based on real events of a town full of sick people. This play touches on family, political issues, and loyalty. These issues have been prevalent in the United States past, and still continue to be in today's times. Power in a corrupt leaders hands does more bad than good to society, even if the person seems like they mean good it can be deceiving.
ReplyDeleteThe director Tom Isbell changed the original play into modern time. He changed the language, and added a few jokes about present day political issues. These changes helped the audience not only get more engaged at this old story and compare it to current times, but also made the play open for people to draw their own comparisons and decisions about the issues of that time, and current times. Tom Isbell decided to end the play with dramatic statements being read by the actors about the real events in Flint Michigan, which left a strong resonance with the audience. The usage of an area seating brought the audience closer to the stage and the actors. The attention to the little details were very prevalent in the props of the play, and made it seem more real.
Lexie Cruz who was the lighting designer did a beautiful job, by bringing emotions through the lights. She subtly used changes of the color when different characters were present in the scene. When the mayor, the antagonist, was present the lights became red. When Dr. Thomas Stockmann was present, the lights would change blue. These colors help bring up emotions for the characters, due to the subtle fade that wasn't aggressive, more of a subconscious connection between the emotions were felt from each character. When a scene changed, there was a spiral of lights above, going along with the actors walking in a circle. This gave the feel of the world turns on with these issues still at hand throughout time.
Addison Sim did an outstanding acting job playing the role of the selfless Dr. Thomas Stockman. During the town hall meeting he made eye contact all of the audience. The passion in his eyes and voice were apparent and compelling. When the mayor said “the hard truth is, no one cares about the truth,” the audience was so compelled by Addison’s case you could see other audience faces of anger and disagreement.
Patrick Timmons, a passionate actor playing Peter Stockmann. Because the audience was so close when he yelled, his spit came flying out of his mouth. His aggressive tone, and his presentation of a corrupt leader was so compelling, it's hard not to get mad at the character and the actor because he played the role so well.
Rachel Williams who played the loveable Petra Stockmann did an outstanding job at showing her emotions. She used subtle but noticeable hand gestures and facial expressions that made her seem extremely disturbed at the circumstance. When her father died, she was able to cry, and shake, but hold herself together for her mother and her father's desire for good. Rachel captivated the audience, it was hard not to watch her whenever she was in a scene, due to the fact she was always in character.
This thought provoking, beautifully executed play was not only interesting to watch, but also realistic and intriguing.
-Breah Friede
The University of Minnesota Duluth’s production, Enemy of the people, takes the emotions of the audience in its hand and causes them to think about current issues in our world.
ReplyDeleteEnemy of the people was originally written in 1882, by Henrik Ibsen. It was then adapted by Tom Isbell, for University of Minnesota Duluth’s production. Isbell took this play from 1882, and adapted it to fit into present time. While keeping the original theme from 1882, Isbell changes the script to fit today’s political climate. Isbel’s script and stage directions brought this play to life.
Enemy Of The People takes us into the lives of Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Addison Sim) and Peter Stockmann (Patrick Timmons.) Peter Stockmann is the town mayor and the owner of a spa. This spa had been very successful and had brought people to his town from various places to use this spa. Very quickly into the play, Dr. Thomas Stockmann becomes in a conflict with his brother Peter Stockmann. Peter works as a medical officer for the spa and he discovers that the spa’s water supply had become contaminated by harmful toxins. This causes both internal and external conflicts for many of the characters in the play.
Scenic designer, Katie Cornish, designed the set to be in an arena form. From the audience, the stage appears to resemble a boxing arena which adds to the intensity of all of the conflict that is taking place, but also allows the audience to truly enter this world of the Stockmann family.
The lighting and sound both added an incredible amount of intensity to the play. Lighting designer Lexie Cruz did a fantastic job of using the lighting to tug at our emotions. One part that stood out was a scene change that occurred after the death of one of the main characters. In this scene change the intensity of the lighting decreased and the color changed to blue, which is the color often associated with despair. Sound designer Drew Check was spot on with every sound que. Weather it was a subtly fade in music backing track or a lightning strike, Check truly allowed the audience to feel as if the were apart of this story.
Addison Sim did an outstanding job as Dr. Stockman. The audience could clearly see his emotions and feel sympathy for him and his family. Janessa Iverson and Rachel Williams, who played Dr. Stockman’s wife and daughter, also portrayed their roles very well. These three actors worked together phenomenally. Their emotions made it feel like they were a real family going through these hardships. By the end, these actors brought a tear to my eye because of how realistic they made these situations seem.
It was amazing to see Isbel’s adaptation of An Enemy Of The People come alive. The aspects from the cast and crew came together very well to create a compelling tale of activism, and politics within their town.
-Kelsey Strand
The University of Minnesota-Duluth Theatre presents a controversial topic in its current production of An Enemy of the People, written by Henry Ibsen.
ReplyDeleteThe issues playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote in 1882, mirrors the water crisis occurring in Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey. Director Tom Isbell's adaption showcases that past issues continue to affect the modern-day.
Scenic designer, Katie Cornish chose to arrange the black box in a unique arena configuration creating an intimate space among the audience. To have the audience surrounds the stage gives it a courtroom aesthetic feel to it and allows them to be part of the play by being spectators.
It was fascinating to see the actors transition between scenes. To reset the stage, the actors removed and added props as they walked in a circle in the middle of the stage. A peculiar technique, but it made the story move more fluidly. The setup was simple and bear and gave the performers the freedom to move about the stage. Banisters and a few chairs were used to separate the audience from the performers.
Lighting designer Lexie Cruz used circulating blue lights during scene transitions to make the audience take a moment to reflect on each scene. Leaving the audience to wait in their seats with anticipation
For the characters' costume design, Leah Benson-Devine made it deliberately vague. To add individuality to the dull grey color scheme, each character was given an accent color. Peter’s red handkerchief and Mary’s red pants are associated with power. Katherine’s purple waistband corresponds with her wisdom and Petra’s yellow collar represents her optimism.
Patrick Timmons perfectly embodied Mayor Peter Stockman by the condescending tone in his voice and careless behavior towards solving the community's problems.
Rachel Williams did not hold back and gave an emotional performance as Petra during a dramatic confrontation with the mayor who is also her uncle. Petra’s passion for truth led her to uncover that her uncle was behind the corruption. The rage and frustration Petra expressed are parallel to today's young advocates.
Addison Sim successfully portrayed the compassionate Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a selfless man focused on the citizens well being. It's Sim’s persistent and passionate determination that lured the audience in his quest for truth.
Overall, the production of An Enemy of the People was powerful and underhandedly brought awareness to today's prevailing issues. Each aspect of the show was well thought out and delicately executed by the cast and crew.
-Maggie Harms
The UMD’s adaptation of An Enemy of the People is an important and relevant discussion on vital current issues such as climate and pollution, in a way that engages the viewer. The play specifically addresses ideas of power, lies, determination and strength through adversity.
ReplyDeleteThe production is based on Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play and was then adapted by director Tom Isbell for UMD’s production. Isbell took the 19th century play, and changed various aspects of the play by tweaking the language, certain scenes, and portrayal of the female characters to appear to a more contemporary audience, and give it a timeless feel. This adaptation follows Dr. Thomas Stockmann in his quest to let the truth be heard about the polluted water supply in the popular city spa; in doing so, he faces a great deal of conflict with the town including Mayor Peter, his own brother.
Isbel decided that for this adaptation of the play he would do something unusual, and put it in an arena configuration. This resulted in the audience being put in the role as spectators, which created a great deal of intimacy between the audience and actors. The lines between the spectators and the actors were very blurred at times, which created a very unique experience for each performance. The blocking of the play was well executed, despite the difficult to block arena configuration. Isbell directed very natural movements for the actors for blocking, which created an intense sense of realism. This is very well showcased in the town meeting scene, where the actors circled around and engaged the audience through various movements on the stage.
Addison Sim (Dr.Thomas Stockmann) portrayed his character’s mission to spread the truth incredibly well. Sim engaged the viewers, and almost completely dissolved the aesthetic distance by pulling them into the story. His emotions were strong, determined, and passionate. He knew his character’s through-line, and what he stood for. For example, the town hall meeting proved to be an emotionally tense scene for his character, yet Sim was able to remain somewhat professional, and keep his composure throughout.
The scene design was simple and effective, and wasn’t distracting over the course of the play. Scenic designer Katie Cornish added a certain tense aspect of a courtroom like feel to the production by placing various gates around the stage, which affected the mood of the play drastically. The costumes displayed a timeless quality, and were able to display general age, and profession. Petra’s costume portrayed the modern fashion of a young adult, while Mayor Peter’s costume portrayed a professional business man. Another aspect of the costumes and design was color. Each character seemed to be symbolized by different colors, as well as through their costumes, to differentiate from one another and further characterize them. Finally, the use of light was a significant aspect throughout the play. During very tense scenes, the lighting would change very gradually, like the frog in a pot heated so slowly it doesn’t realize it’s boiling. Once the climax or a significant change came, the difference in lighting really showcased how different the mood really was.
Tom Isbel’s adaptation of An Enemy Of The People was excellent, and honestly is an overall improvement over the original. The actors, their characterizations, the costumes, the scene design, and many other factors made this show a cant miss, and hopefully will be performed here at UMD another day, for other people to be able to see.
-Jonathan Soelle
The University of Minnesota Duluths production of An Enemy of the People was an intense and emotional filled production. This being my first experience of seeing a production in the round was thoroughly enjoyable and a little gross, I never thought about actors spitting when they talk on stage but you could definitely see it when you sit that close. Not only was I entertained by the action folding out on stage but also by the reactions of the audience member across the room from me, some viewers were visibly frustrated and throwing their hands up in front of their face while others were taking a quick nap or picking their nose. The actors stayed profesional during all this even while looking audience members directly in the eyes almost as if they were waiting for a response. Given being in the round and that it was a university production the stage design and props were very thought out and well produced. There was an overwhelming sense of detail in all of it that made the production feel all that more intimate. One of my favorite aspects of the show was the lighting design and sound design, especially when the lights would go dark except the track directly over the stage and there would be a circular movement of the light that mixed well with the sound played and the characters following a similar pattern to the lights. I feel like a weak point in the production was the costumes, keeping all the characters in a grayscale theme with a pop of color is a good idea, it just seemed like it was half thought through. Did the pops of color mean something in relation to the character, looking at the blue of Dr. Thomas Stockmanns costume and the red in Peter Stockmanns made sense as blue for protecting the water and red as the antagonist, against protecting the water but was there meaning in the pops of color in the other characters costumes? I wasn’t able to figure out what the relationship was, if any. The citizens that were almost sitting in the audience were a little confusing, I don’t think they added much to the production other than to help move stage props and such. Each actor embodied their character very well, Rachel Williams was easily able to come across as a young college student while thrown in the midst of all the adults and their problems. Patrick Timmons was incredibly well at playing the role of the politician and was very convincing in trying to get people to support his side of the argument while Addison Sim came off as very professional and passionate within his character of Dr. Stockmann. Overall, the production of An Enemy of the People at the University of Minnesota Duluth, was a rather enjoyable experience, on that has fors ure made we want to attend more productions that are in the round.
ReplyDelete-Denaya Gross
UMD’s production of An Enemy of the People provokes many emotions and unfolds the timeless discussion of pollution versus economic development. The play engages viewers through telling a story that emphasizes ideas power inequality, adversity, and the value of the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe original play was written in 1882, but the director Tom Isbell adapted its original form to fit the modern climate and issues that stand today. His adaptations include changing the language, and the roles that the female characters starred in. The edits that Isbell made were tailored to the cast’s personalities. Issues that were addressed seemed more modern, present, and personal.
The decision Isbell made to perform in the arena conveyed an extremely intimate experience. By having the actors actively engage with audience members expressed a call to action and highlights their role as spectators. Successful blocking of the actors was a vital aspect required for the arena. Isbell had actors placed at corners or moving during peak arguments, which not only ensured visibility but conveyed a realistic experience of a town hall meeting.
Rachel Williams, who played Petra Stockmann, displayed a captivating performance. Her embodiment of Petra created a relatable character, and shifted the energy in the room during the town hall scene where she argues with Peter. Her character showed great development throughout the play as she kept up her acting with the demands of the role. Williams also executed performing in an arena through her use of facial expressions, non-verbals, and body language.
Patrick Timmons, portrayed the Mayor, Peter Stockmann, he adequately filled the demands of his role. Timmons was playing a role that required powerful eye contact and addressing the audience in a manner that manifested a call to action. His political body language and way of speaking really sold his role as the mayor.
Scenic Designer, Katie Cornish, created an organic, timeless, environment for the play to unfold in. The design was also simple and open which made movement of the actors fluid and the portability of the railings was a fascinating aspect that created a courtroom feeling when it was needed but subtracted them and it creates a different scene. The costume designer, Leah Benson-Devine, aimed to capture a timeless feeling by having the main characters in gray with a pop of color to represent the different personalities of each role. The lighting design was executed whether it was the colored light during scene changes when the actors were marching in circles during a scene change or the daybreak scene at the end.
Overall, An Enemy of The People was a production with high demands that were executed very successfully. The final moments of the play that highlighted the Flint water crisis was a very clear way for audience members to draw their attention to how this play is still relevant today. An Enemy of The People fulfilled the purpose of lighting a match to a timeless thought provoking discussion.
Yazzy Braden
A well-adapted, overtly political drama, “An Enemy Of The People” has the power to make an impact in the community that is so desperately needed in this political atmosphere. A subliminal yet impactful message about political corruption can be seen throughout the play as a whole, which carried a lot of weight.
ReplyDeleteSet in the arena style of theater, “An Enemy Of The People” really stood out from the crowded atmosphere of North Eastern theater that exists in Duluth and the surrounding area. It was a breath of fresh air, and felt almost real. The courtroom setting mixed with the ring lighting made it feel as though the audience was watching a real court case take place, something that a lot of people do not get to experience.
The arena style stage felt almost Brecht-esque, wherein the play presents itself as a boxing match, and makes the audience want to involve themselves, especially during the fourth wall breaks that occur throughout the play as a whole. Set designer Katie Cornish made sure the audience knew that it truly was a boxing match they were watching.
The lighting was implemented in a really powerful way, making it clear in tense moments that someone was going to say something that would spark fire throughout the courtroom. It felt like a soap opera on a television, but live right in front of your nose.
The varied distancing from the audience via the use of courtroom “fencing” had a really impactful feel, and blurred the lines between who was in the play, and who the audience were. Having UMD students act as the peanut gallery in the soundtrack was a really brilliant implementation of sound, blending voices the audience knew, while maintaining the fictitious atmosphere of the play itself.
This story really illustrated to its listeners that if the geopolitical platform that exists in the current times is to continue as such, there will be grave consequences in the form of ecological destruction and cautionary mistakes at the hands of the governing body. Although the play is short, it reveals its motive quite quickly, eliminating the need for that kind of subliminal build up that so many multi-act plays require in order to set the scene for the forthcoming action.
The costumes were period correct for the original play written in 1882, yet they maintained a sort of modern feel, something required in order to show the audience that the play, along with its message, is still something everyone needs to hear today. The acting did wonders for that same idea, providing modern twists on ancient dialogue, something not a lot of directors have the ability to do, but Tom Isbell did a great job of.
- Ethan Wade
An Enemy of The People was a very moving production put on by the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Theatre Department. The play brought out many political and emotional problems that people can relate to in today’s society.
ReplyDeleteDirector Tom Isbell put his own rendition of the play by adapting the original version, made by Henrik Ibsen in June of 1882. He did a fantastic job of choosing a cast of people that embodied their own personas into their roles.
Addison Sim portrayed the character of Dr. Thomas Stockmann wonderfully. His strong emotions gave a feel for how passionate and determined his character was about the city matters concerning the Spa. An example of his persistence occurred during the town meeting when the other town members turned against Dr. Thomas Stockmann and sided with Peter Stockmann. Dr. Thomas never tried to stop winning the citizens over, even up until it killed him.
The daughter of Dr. Thomas Stockmann was Petra Stockmann, played by Rachel Williams. Williams effortlessly presented her justice seeking character and made the audience feel her pain when Peter Stockmann, her own uncle, disrespected and yelled at her. Despite the backlash from the community, she held her head high and stood up for what she believed in.
Town mayor and brother of Dr. Stockmann was Peter Stockmann, played by Patrick Timmons. Timmons did a truly remarkable job of trying to convince the audience that his argument for the Spa was the only correct one. Through manipulation, threats, and convincing, he seemed to turn the whole town against his brother's family. The family soon became “enemies of the people.”
Scenic designer, Katie Cornish, created a very intimate space in an arena format for the show. Having the audience around all four sides of the stage really enhanced the tension and drama that filled the room. The ceiling and floor structure designed by Cornish depicted how an actual room would look like. It was eye-compelling to see the same set pieces relocate during the show and used to form different places.
Another aspect that caught the eye during those transitions was the lighting. Lighting designer, Lexie Cruz, incorporated spirling and colorful lights that moved with the characters of the play. Cruz did an incredible job of assigning specific light cues to individual cast members to portray different emotions and themes throughout the show.
Hope Olson
University of Minnesota Duluth’s theatre company takes on an old classic of An Enemy of the People and proves the story’s relevance in today’s modern society. While putting on the play, the University had a useful tool of having the playwright, Tom Isbell, also doubling as the director. Originally written by Henrik Ibsen in 1882, the play is in the public domain letting some liberties for Isbell to add changes to become the playwright for this particular adaptation.
ReplyDeleteThe changes done created the sense of a more modern piece. The subject originally written by Ibsen remained very current for the twenty first century. An Enemy of the People focuses on a town affected by water contaminants within the town, making citizens become more and more ill. The overall choice of production was impactful with the topics today relating to global warming. Another big theme that carries with the continuation of the shows prevalence was the idea of power and hierarchy. Things society hypothetically not see to save face or for money. Both subjects attribute to why this particular play has significant reverence. The new version of this classic was impressive with its ability to relate to modern society and overall has aged timelessly.
Patrick Timmons, playing Peter Stockmann, the Mayor of the town in favor of hiding any evidence of contaminants with the city’s water, portrayed a convincingly strong and persuasive behaviour towards keeping the secret of the water’s harmfulness. Accompanied by the costume done by Leah Benson-Devine, the red accents in his attire revealed his characteristic of the rich common man who will continually live his life disregarding those around himself. Another significant standout was Addison Sim, who played Dr. Thomas Stockmann. His sincerity and genuine care for the community translated with his persuasive facts and evidence for his case against his brother, Peter Stockmann. The two shared similar characteristics yet, coming from differing viewpoints consistently, delivered with the two sides of facts and saving face.
The stage set up for An Enemy of the People was simple yet, well thought out. Done by Katie Cornish, she placed the whole set with minimal props and overall set pieces. Yet, every item has intention and purpose. Especially when Isbell places the production in the round, every item has to be complete and accurate and with intentful purpose. With that, Cornish also has the changes of the scene adding court like barriers as the play progresses and intensifies. All the set pieces have a simple and modern correlation to the piece which is an additive factor to the relevance of the modernization of An Enemy of the People.
An Enemy of the People, done by the University of Minnesota Duluth theatre program relates to the issues in modern society, specifically, global warming. A great selection done by Tom Isbell, the show remains timeless with the intent of potentially influencing the protection of the planet.
Joseph O’Connell
An Enemy of the People, which is put on by UMD, was a very moving show. The play shined light on modern issues that have been around since the 1880s but have never been fixed. The fight between brother and brother throughout the show is a representation of how we as a country can be so close but yet so divided on certain issues.
ReplyDeleteThe 1882 play by Henrik Ibsen was adapted by Tom Isbell who did a great job of incorporating modern issues into the play but also keeping the main core of what the play originally was about. The controversial issues in the play that happened in this town were very relatable to the viewers. The arena style theater was a huge help in making that happen and making the audience the members of their town drew you into the story.
The set design for the play by Katie Cornish was very simple but it played a big role in making the play special. With the set only having a very few props it made the show timeless in a sense. The play could be interpreted in different ways and helps the viewer see how these issues are still present in our society today.
The acting of the Addison Sim as Dr. Stockmann was phenomenal. Throughout the play Sim is able to portray true passion for the wellbeing of the members of the town. The morals of the character shined in the show and drew the audience into the feeling as if they were all members of his own town.
Patrick Timmons played Peter Stockman, brother of Dr. Stockman. Peter is the owner of the spa and the mayor of the town and is not trying to pay to get the water in the town fix which will hurt his business. The way that Timmons was able to portray the character was absolutely spot on. Peter has his agenda set the whole play and even outcast his brother just to try and profit for himself instead of worrying about what the town needs.
Dr. Stockman's daughter Perta Stockman who was played by Rachel Williams had an enormous part in this production. The young college student pushed for the good of the town and gave passionate reason that the water problem shouldnt be ignored. She made it easy for all the college students in the audience to relate with her fight and showed that anyone can make a difference in their community.
Costume Designer Leah Benson-Devine did a prefect job at making the characters costumes fit the characters. She was able to mix the old style of the play and the modern take on the production perfectly. The characters seemed to fit perfectly with what they were wearing and how they were seen throughout the story.
-Matt Garrity
A new, re-written version of An Enemy of the People was recently put on by UMD’s finest in theater, bringing to the stage relevant environmental issues facing modern societies. Tom Isbell, auteur director of this new version, refurbished this Ibsen classic to relay to audiences how the environmental dilemmas humanity has endured are only being perpetuated by political and economic powers. A play that speaks on problems such as occur Flint, Michigan, where the general neglect of the government and financial concerns have led to the people living in hazardous conditions; is a production worth seeing.
ReplyDeleteTom Isbells rendition proved to be a success; in part because of the language and location. He used more modern language to-with more ease than Ibsen-relate to his audience. The University setting was also a good venue to debut this production for it provided an audience, especially young and attached to these issues. Choosing the arena seating arrangement also allowed for a more intimate theater experience and much more personal audience-actor interactions. Taking into account these factors the Dudley Theater was a good place to put on his work for its premier.
The language was connected and cohesive throughout the production. Isbell’s choice of words were repetitive somewhat but that only reinforced the coherent flow and simplicity needed to convey it to the audience. Many people coming to see the show may have thought that Peter Stockmann (Patrick Timmons) constant reiteration of his pro-sauna claim was redundant, but it only reinforces the point Isbell was trying to make throughout the production: the environmental issues presented are fairly cut and dry. Very simply put: if the water is toxic, fix it. Any excuse of monetary claim that endangers people is immoral but is evident of corruption and is very prevalent in modern times. An Enemy of the People showed this well through its script.
Actors as well helped to captivate the audience, sending their message through quality performance. Rachel Williams (Petra Stockmann) is an example of an actress who did very well with the rewritten dialogue and performance. Her portrayal of an undeclared college student not only was accurate but relatable, making the audience and locale even more appropriate.
The acting and setting all helped to attribute to the tone of the piece, the set as well helped with this, giving the play a very surreal and yet at the same time believable feel. Katie Cornish did a very good job putting together the easily moveable courtroom pieces, which allowed the actors to transition very easily between scenes. Water patterned marble floor also help relate to the overall epidemic in the play and worked very well with the costuming. Costuming worked very well given how they were gray with touches of color, made certain parts of the actors seem to just pop out of the set, making it somewhat like watching colors move across a gray plane, interacting and contrasting.
Lighting was essential to this plays success as well with how many transitions, changes, and such that need to happen. Lexie Cruz’s choices of blue lighting and dim transition lighting helped to keep the immersion with constant action and helped make quick transitions more apparent.
With all of the design elements and acting choices coming together, Isbell and his crew gave a very good run to this new rendition of An Enemy of the People. It was a very relevant show that should be viewed with an open mind, willing to accept the repeated logical points presented within. Environmental debacles tend to elicit a lot of controversy, causing mass societal disruption on occasion. Sometimes discussing it by bringing it up through theater or other means can be a very good vessel to helping integrate thoughts of change in a society. Isbell truly fulfilled his goal of enlightening the populace on environmentalism and the neglect infused with corruption of political powers.
-Dryden Schoepel
Today’s world is rife with cultural, economic, social, and political issues, and UMD’s production of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People brings a number of these issues together proficiently.
ReplyDeleteTom Isbell’s modernization of the play’s language was a good addition. The relevance of the play’s themes hit home even more effectively when its mannerisms are updated to fit the language of a contemporary audience.
The actors overall succeeded in their portrayal of the show’s characters, and were able to show a wide range of emotion through their facial expressions and delivery of lines. Rachel Williams’ portrayal of Petra, a well-informed student, stood out to me especially. Her actions were well-executed, and her character’s emotions were palpable, timely, and intense. Rachel was fun to watch and was easily the most enthralling player on stage. Addison Sim’s lifelike portrayal of the middle-aged Dr. Thomas Stockmann was also well-performed. Although frantic at points, Addison’s mannerisms were realistic, and he had a good grasp of the character’s actions throughout the show.
The show was produced in the round, which was a well-informed choice, with a few slight downsides. The closeness of the space drew the audience in, making them feel as if the issues discussed in the show were immediate and demanded attention. This intimacy also allowed for a greater sense of empathy and conveyed emotion from the side of the actors. The only downside to performing the show in the round was the erratic nature of the blocking. In practically every scene, it felt as if the characters were moving out of necessity for the audience’s vision rather than out of a well-timed shift in energy or change in intent. Many of the actors ended up pacing to let the audience see their faces, which removed a number of subtle opportunities for increased depth. Movement is an important vehicle for the energy of any show, and this show could have been stronger with less of it.
My main qualm with this show is its repetitive nature. While it emphasized a number of issues that should rightly be in today’s limelight (such as political corruption and censorship), I fear that the show may have been a little heavy-handed in its presentation. When it comes to facilitating discussion and reflection, less is more. For example, the entire character of Mayor Stockmann, played by Patrick Timmons, consists of a handful of lines that are simply stated in slightly different ways (“I don’t care about the facts” and “You’re ruining this town” among them). Despite having importance, these types of lines can grow a little dull when repeated throughout a 2-hour run time. Such an echo chamber often blunts the ideas of an audience and lessens the intended reaction to the show.
Overall, the show was decently produced, designed, and performed. It had its lulls, but overall was proficient at proving its points and inciting the audience to think a bit more about the world around them.
-Billy Booth
The adaptation of An Enemy of The People by Tom Isbell has done a great job in illustrating issues that exist in the world today. The play captures the audience in an intense and strong show. From water pollution, to a corrupt politician, this show tackles topics that are topical and relevant in 2019.
ReplyDeletePeter Stockmann (Patrick Timmons) played the role of a corrupt, cheapskate mayor. Timmons did an excellent job of portraying his role by making people really believe he was holding the same beliefs as his character. This was shown when Peter made his argument to keep the Spa open in the meeting scene. When he spoke, Timmons made eye contact with members of the audience and it seemed as if people were taking his side of the argument. Addison Sim played the brilliant Dr. Thomas Stockmann. He did a great job demonstrating the optimistic character of Stockmann. Sim showed great line memorization and calm composure throughout the play. It was shown in the play several times as Dr. Stockmann attempted to get support from people to shut down the spa due to the toxic water. A fantastic performance was delivered by Dr. Stockmann's partner and daughter Petra Stockmann (Rachel Williams). Williams did a wonderful job demonstrating that Petra was willing and hungry for money. This was best shown during the court town meeting, where Williams displayed an emotional performance fighting for what she believed in. Each character in this show gave a passionate and believable performance for the audience.
The play was structured in an arena style by Director Tom Isbell, which helped create more suspense and put the audience into motion. This set up was something very fresh for the audiences and really helps tear down the wall between audience and actors. He also did an outstanding job choosing a cast that could build a very authentic show. With these two combinations, it made for a great show.
The sound and lighting were another well done part of the play. Sound designer Drew Check did a great job during the city meeting to create a realistic sounding storm. It was a smart move to specifically compare the magnitude of the storm with the strength of the debate during the session. With the sound of rain and lightning, it looks as if outside there was a massive thunderstorm. Lighting designer Lexie Cruz worked hard to make the lightning realistic after the lightning sound effect was created by incorporating bright flashes of light.
Ultimately, the adaptation of An Enemy of the People by Tom Isbell has done a great job of depicting how power is sometimes needed to make things happen. It also gave attention of issues that need to be tackled in today's society such as emissions, and corrupt politics. The cast did an incredible job of bringing together all these things and making a fun performance that audiences at UMD loved to watch.
UMD Theatre put on an adaption of a timeless play done by Tom Isbell, bringing up issues that impact the world today. They discussed Profit v. Health, Politics v. Morality, Family Drama, and more, in a very engaging way to show us what will happen to the world and society if we don’t fix the problems. ¬¬¬
ReplyDeleteAn Enemy of the People was written by Hendrick Ibsen and the version done by UMD was adapted by Tom Isbell. Isbell served as both the playwright and the director of this production. The script was phenomenally written, as Isbell was able to change the language to sound more and fit better with today’s world and audience with keeping the original storyline. It was interesting to see how Isbell incorporated at the end a real example of this happening in Flint, Michigan and providing real data from the world today.
Looking now at Tom Isbell in the aspect of a director, he made several choices that impacted the play. One choice that drastically impacted the play was doing it in the round/arena styled rather than a proscenium or straight on performance. Doing this allowed the audience to be closer to the action. It also made the play more intimate and it made it seem like the questions and statements made were about the audience and the actors were able to better interact with audience members. With it being in the round I think the blocking decisions were made well so that even though the actor’s backs were faced towards some audience members they never missed any of the action. The casting was another thing Isbell did well, as all the characters seemed to fit their roles and deliver the message of the play well.
The actors all worked very well together to deliver this important message the play gives. With the production being in the round, all the actors did an amazing job moving around so that everyone was able to see what was happening. There were seven main characters in this production with four minor characters. The characters which could be considered minor characters acted as audience members in the courtroom watching this all happen and then also severed as narrators at the beginning and end of the play. All the characters expressed their emotions and feelings to events and arguments well through their facial expressions and body language.
A major part of this performance as it was in the round was the set. Katie Cornish, the scenic designer, did a very good job telling the story with very little use of props. As it was in the round, she could use props that were larger as the would block audience member’s view of the play. One of the most interesting props that displayed meaning was the barricades that surrounded the playing area. As the intensity in the play increased more and more barricades were added until they were fully enclosed at the climax. Another cool feature was that they had a darker and lighter shade of the tile floor so that you could tell where the actor was in the audience or in on the action.
One final part of the performance was the lighting design done by Lexie Cruz. One cool aspect was whenever Peter would enter the room the lights would slowly fade, and the room would eventually become darker as if his bad intentions and plans were looming over. Also, when the actors were transitioning from scene to scene light was shined down and spinning to show the change in location/time.
Overall it was an amazing production with the help of the amazing actors and all the other pieces placed together well. It brought an older play, back into the spotlight to teach us all a very important lesson.
Samantha Dean
Henrik Ibsen's Enemy of the people has long been considered a mainstay of theatrical realism and its message could not be more relevant today. Tom Isbell’s adaptation of the original text, written by Ibsen almost 150 years ago, was written to make the show more relevant to a current audience and in this effort he was successful. Every aspect of the show came together to create a timeless story that is just as relevant today as it was when Ibsen wrote the play.
ReplyDeleteA key part of any show is the ability of an actor to fulfill the vision of a director. In this show the goal of the director was to achieve a timeless nature in order to make it appear that this show could be taking place at anytime in modern history. This was clear in the acting of every person on stage however it was especially clear in the performance of Patrick Timmons the actor who played Peter Stockmann; the mayor of the unnamed town in which this show takes place. While all the other actors were excellent in their portrayal of the timelessness of this show Timmons was of particular note. The image of the person in power who does not care about the people that they claim to represent and is only concerned with keeping power and maintaining a veneer of comfortability is something that is easy to tie to a specific time. This was fortunately not the case for Timmons’s portrayal of Peter Stockmann. He as well as Director Tom Isbell were able to avoid tying the character of Peter Stockmann to an idea that is firmly grounded in a specific time while connecting the character very firmly to a kind of person that many people encounter in an individual day.
As much as the actors on stage and the person behind the script work to make a show a success the people who are working behind the stage dressing actors, and building sets do just as much to make sure that the vision of the director and production staff is being realized. One of the many people who helped to bring this show to its best potential is Leah Benson-Devine, the costume designer for An Enemy of the People. The costume design for this show kept perfectly with the idea that this show could be taking place in any time period in modern history. It is easy, especially because of our current notions about what clothes people wore during different time periods, to consciously or unconsciously make decisions that can lead costume design to be grounded in certain time periods. All of the costumes, while they were all professional, were not firmly grounded in any specific time period. One could imagine these characters in any setting in the modern day.
In the end Tom Isbell’s adaptation of Ibsen's play An Enemy of the People kept very firmly to the idea that this show could be taking place at any time. The story was as relevant in the late 1800’s when Ibsen wrote the original text as it is now. When people in power refuse to act it inevitably leads to the suffering of innocent people.
-David Butts
Emotional, thought-provoking, and inspiring, Tom Isbell’s adaptation of An Enemy of the People shocks audiences with its raw truth. Henric Ibsen, the original playwright, wrote this play many years ago, not knowing that it would still be relevant to today.
ReplyDeleteTom Isbell, the director and playwright of this adaptation, took the original piece and made it into something more relatable to modern times. He changed the language to make it more understandable to our day, and added choreography and music that made the show more intense. He chose to perform the play in an arena style, which helped the audience feel like they were part of the play, and like the characters were talking directly to them. The way he had the characters walk in circles in between scenes built up tension and suspense as to what would happen next. The four outside characters were also very moving at the end of the play when they came out and talked about the water crises that are happening in our society today.
Rachel Williams, who played Petra Stockman, brought a lot of attitude to the show. Her character was humorous and passionate, which helped to break up some of the seriousness within the scenes. The back and forth arguing between her character and Peter Stockman was astounding. She was strong and determined through the whole scene right up until he blows up at her, which was really impressive how she was able to switch from strong to fearful in a split second.
Patrick Timmons, who played Peter Stockman, did a fantastic job of playing a twisted business man and mayor. He walked around the stage with an aura of authority that made even the audience feel under his control. The way he would cut in at the perfect time to twist other characters words and make them look bad kept the play moving at a quick pace, and helped to make every scene feel a little bit like a trial. During the most intense scene, the way he blew up at Petra sent fear through the audience and made the entire room go silent.
Katie Cornish, the scenic designer for this show, created a set that was simple and timeless. Her idea to add barriers as the tension rose helped to make the audience feel like something big was coming without giving away what that was going to be. It was also really interesting how they were able to create all of the different places that the characters go in the show with just a table and a couple chairs.
Drew Check, the sound designer for this show, used great music for in between scenes. It was intense, and the slow build in volume at the end of a scene when people were talking made for a really smooth transition into the actors circling around the stage. The combination of music and lighting done by Lexie Cruz during those transitions kept the audience engaged during every part of the show.
Caitlin Higgins
History has a way of repeating itself and bringing up old issues with new blood. During the two week run of Henry Isben’s An Enemy of the People at UMD’s Marshall Arts Performing Center’s Dudley Theatre, audience members flocked into the arena theatre to see Isben’s play in a new adaption brought to the public by Tom Isbell, UMD Faculty, playwright, and director. Isbell edited the century old script to make the three act script timeless and for audiences of all education levels and run in under 90 minutes.
ReplyDeleteHenry Isben wrote this play about a fictional town in Norway, but Isabell’s adaption indirectly calls out situations that the United States and in Minnesota’s backyard BWCA. With characters making political commentary throughout most of the play, it is a good thing that Duluth, Minnesota is a majority liberal city because Isabell’s adaption of Isben would have not been successful in a more conservation or mining oriented community.
With arena theatre seating, scenic designer Katie Cornish stuck with a simple yet sleek design that gave the Dudley a sophisticated and sharp feeling. This design was completed with a beautiful white cornice that hung from the ceiling giving the stage a feel of a Victorian past brought into a new era. With an almost empty stage, light designer, Lexie Cruz has a large playing space which she filled intense lighting that added to the slowly boiling over pot of emotional turmoil that the show embodies. With added lighting during the scene transitions, the audience was kept in the story the whole time. It was truly Cruz’s lighting that pushed this production from being good to fantastic.
As the actors are introduced the tension is immediately set between Peter Stockman, played by UMD Junior Patrick Timmons, and Dr. Thomas Stockman, played by Addison Sims. Sims and Timmons played battling brothers for the well being of a small town. Their depictions of the characters added layers of brotherly love, competition, and tension to the story. Doing the play in the round added a layer of intimacy to the performance that allowed the audience to help appreciate the facial expressions of the actors more. Rachel Williams, playing Petra Stockman, has authentic expressions that drew the audience to be enamored with her every move. Leah Walk played the show’s devil’s advocate, Mary Hovstad. Throughout the performance, Walk set little fires via sharp inflections of lines and actions, similar to her performance last semester in Meteor Shower.
With an intimate setting, of an arena configuration, sophisticated set, intense lighting, and passionate actors it is no wonder that the general public flocked to UMD for two weeks to see this production. Even with edgy and liberal political commentary, it is hard to deny the talent and passion behind this production of An Enemy of the People. The audience left the theatre each night with a new perspective in an ever-growing political environment of the future of the BWCA and many small towns around America.
- Sarah Marie Phillips
Originating from 1882, “Enemy of the people” was first written by a Norwegian man named Henrik Ibsen. “Enemy of the people” consist of many concepts or things are still relevant in today's society. Director Tom Isbell engaged the audience by modernizing this playwright to keep it even more relevant to what's going on today. This tactic was a wonderful strategy and kept the audience members intrigued throughout the entire performance.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, the playwright is still somewhat similar to the plot of the original 1882 production but it involves a much more modernized effect. Tom Isbell used this strategy to relate it to the current situation going on in Flint Michigan today which many people know about. It also teases a lot of other situations going on in different communities throughout the nation too. The stage was set in an arena style to create more of a real life experience to make it more intense and also to make it easier for people to feel like they were at a courtroom in a real life situation. In addition to that statement, it also made it easier for the actors to put themselves in their characters roles.
Secondly, Leah Benson-Devine, the costume designer for “Enemy of the people”, teamed with Tom by creating a play that consist of many different ages. For example, some characters wore sort of an aged outfit that had pant suits and other older clothing and then actor Jake nelson, who played Alan Billing, had on a more of a modernized outfit that consisted of a sweater and tight jeans. The combination of the different ages and different styles really made for a great experience and hinted how the problems are still going on today. Costume designer Leah Benson-Devine goes along with Tom Isbells ageless feel with their costuming choices.
Thirdly, Lexie Cruz, who was the lighting designer for the performance, used a vast amount of lighting to highlight important moments within the performance. Lexie initially constructed a warm introduction to each individual character by presenting them with a sort of warm lighting that gave a comforting feel to the members of the audience. Eventually throughout the play conflict arose and the lighting began to change when specific events would occur. For example, while it enemy of the people was being chanted in the background the lighting gave sort of a nervous feeling on the were being chanted. Lexie Cruz was so incredibly skilled with her lighting abilities that she could completely change the emotion of the play through a simple addition of lighting. Her lighting abilities really made the play by causing intense situations to become even more intense which really caught everyone's eyes.
Finally, the play consists of many University of Minnesota Duluth students. Patrick Timmons, who played Mayor Peter Stockman, did a wonderful job of convincing the audience that he was a mayor in real life. Using very skilled literacy and impersonation he played this character to perfection. Rachel Williams, who played a teen advocate named Petra Stockmann, used intense acting and her ability to catch the audience off guard to keep them engaged to perfect her performance. Her acting really helped the production of the play because she almost made it seem as if you were sitting in a real courtroom which is very impressive. The cast of 11 individuals did a wonderful job of portraying each character to make the audience believe that they were sitting in a real courtroom viewing a real case and director Tom isbell’s modification of the play made it even more realistic. The "realness" of the play was probably the most intriguing part of the performance that provided for not only an emotional performance, but also for an inspiring, motivational, and memorable performance.
-Seth Grob
On Tuesday evening the UMD Department of Theatre put on an amazing show by Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People. This play was very controversial but also heartbreaking and brought many different emotions from the audience. Two brothers, Dr. Thomas Stockmann and Peter Stockmann, have always had trouble getting along. When the issue about water comes up, they debate whether the water from the spa is poisonous. The play takes place in the south of Norway which attracts many tourists. The spa brings many tourists to town and helps make the town lots of money. The debate had some audience members wanting to get up from their seats and speak up. It was also frustrating to witness the citizens not speak up. Many people are on Peter’s side.
ReplyDeleteThe director, Tom Isbell, adapted this play from Henrik Ibsen and made it his own version. He decided to present this performance in the round, an arena theatre, which felt very much like watching a live argument. The space slowly turned into a courtroom and the audience became apart of the cast. Tom took into consideration each actors personality characteristics and embedded them into their character part. His great work reflects off the actors performance.
The costume and makeup designer, Leah Benson-Devine, was very significant in this play. Each actor had a different splash of color in their costume that helped describe their character. This was unique and stood out to the audience.
Dr. Thomas Stockmann, played by Addisom Sim, is a medical officer for the town’s major industry, a spa. His research found that the water at the spa is poisonous. He immediately wants to make this news public to the citizens of the town, but his idea is shut down. Thomas then calls a city hall meeting to bring up this issue to the town and the people. Everyone goes against him and his family for trying to reveal the truth about the polluted water. The entire town turns against him. Him and his family are unfortunately labeled, “enemy of the people.”
Peter Stockmann, played by Patrick Timmons, is the town’s mayor and board president of the spa. He has a very ignorant personality with lots of power. When finding out from his brother, Thomas, about the water, he goes on the warpath.
Petra Stockmann, played by Rachel Williams, is the daughter of Dr. Thomas Stockmann. She is a witty college student and after finding out about her father's issue, her immediate reaction is to help. She voices her opinion and is her father’s biggest advocate by doing her own research. By voicing her opinion during the town hall meeting, she gets a letter from her University saying that it is best for her to not return. Her and her mother, Katherine Stockmann, are now trying to figure out what is best for them.
At the end of the play, it was interesting that the cast addressed water issues in the world today. These issues brought attention to audience members and continue to be a problem. The overall performance by the cast and crew members of An Enemy of the People was eye-opening and very impressive. Sometimes, it takes power to make an effect. It displays political, social, and human issues. A friend of the people can quickly turn to an enemy of the people.
Grace Gaustad
“Enemy of the People” written by Ibsen in 1882, and adapted and modernized by Tom Isbell to be centered around more relevant issues such as environmental pollution and government corruption, can come across as controversial. However due to the skill of the actors with the director lending a guiding hand, and the design of the set to use lights and movement in a deliberate way, the play was able to stay relevant yet fluid in its plot while staying true to the original play’s intentions.
ReplyDeleteTo insure the success of the play Isbell set the play in the black box. Allowing for tension in the audience to feel almost palpable as the audience was drawn not only into the world of the play, but as bystanders of the ensuing town meeting. With no small credit going to Katie Cornish, creating an environment that started open and during the first act of the play, transforming into the courtroom that made the space feel smaller and smaller causing the ‘stage’ to become more intimate with the actors. Drawing the audience in to feel “apart of the action” as if one of the towns people that the play was about.
Using the more modern issues and language complemented the feel of the set by seeming familiar and likely to happen within the political climate the play was about. Without references to group work and college and the audience may have felt as though they were not spectators of the town!
With the choices in actors to fill the roles of characters such as Thomas Stockmann and his brother Mayor Peter Stockmann, played respectfully by Addison Sim and Patrick Tommons, Isbell indeed picked correctly! From the carefully good almost timid nature of Sim creating an almost imperceptible link between him and his character as he tried to not only show but work to fix the issues causing people to become sick. To Tommons’ character who seemed to become taller and more imposing up to the climactic scene in which he unleashes a torrent of words towards the young daughter of Thomas, Petra Stockmann played by Rachel Williams.
Through lighting and sound design that transformed the play for the audience from kin to watching a movie to being apart of something of deep importance within each members real life. From subtle changes such as sounds that would deafen the blackbox to suddenly going dead silent allowing the only noises being made to be the ones coming from the actors themselves, not only drew the crowd in more but allowed some lines and scenes to hit harder and stronger than the ones that had happened only moments before.
An Enemy of the People is a fantastic show that allows audience members to view both sides of some very sensitive issues while also raising questions about the priorities of those in charge of dealing with them. Through amazing storytelling and great set designs the story of these characters come to life!
-Nathan Bowman