Production of Isben play deals with timeless issues

The Theater Department will present a dramatic production of Henrik Ibsen's tale, "Lady from the Sea."

Performances are scheduled for March 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, at 7:30 p.m. and March 22 and 29, at 2 p.m. in the Louis Armstrong Theatre in the Performing Arts Center.

"It's so meaty," said Professor Roger Ellis, who directs the production. "Though written in 1888, the play is just as relevant today because it deals with the timeless issues of love, family interactions and the need to get away."

Ibsen set the play in a remote coastal village of his native Norway. The main character, Ellida, wrestles with her marriage to Doctor Wangel and her role as stepmother, against the growing memories of a promise made long ago by a sailor. The desire to make her true choice arrives when the sailor returns, just as the daughters are contemplating their own marriage prospects.

"All of the characters need to cut through the baggage of their past in their search for love," said Ellis, who is working from the modern translation by Pamela Gems. The set design is purposely sparse, placing the emphasis on the characters, garbed in authentic period costumes. "Ibsen created characters we can all understand and was a master at wringing emotion from his audience," Ellis said.
 

Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 faculty/staff/alumni/seniors, and $6 all students. Tickets can be purchased through the box office, located in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center, open Mondays-Fridays, noon-5 p.m. and one hour before the curtain time for each performance. Tickets can also be purchased with a service fee through Startickets.com or by calling Startickets at (616) 222-4000 or 1-800-585-3737.
Photo by Bernadine Carey-Tucker

Kyle Walker as Dr. Wangel and Alicia Clark as Ellida rehearse a scene from ‘Lady from the Sea.'