What is a woman to do when a feeling of entrapment becomes suffocating? Does she attempt to escape her life by manipulating and ultimately destroying the lives of other people? Hedda Gabler certainly does. Gabler, whom some consider to be the original desperate housewife, is the protagonist in Henrik Ibsen’s classic play that is currently showing at the Westminster Theatre in Point Loma courtesy of the Poor Players Theatre Company.
While Poor Players has exclusively presented Shakespearean plays since its inception in 2001, the undeniable link between centuries past and present inspired director Tom Haine to stray from tradition and take on the Norwegian playwright’s work. According to Haine, Ibsen has essentially created the stereotypical desperate housewife who seeks liberation through the destruction of others.
“Our fascination with this play is that [Ibsen] wrote about independent women and the many personal issues they face 100 years before those kind of issues were even discussed,” said Haine, play director, actor and board member of Poor Players and Vanguard at the Westminster Theatre.
As the characters in this piece have a go at finding life’s fulfillment, they must react to modern themes such as alienation and a feeling of confinement due to societal standards. As the play unravels, so do questions about societal pressures to conform and the resulting restrictions that inhibit individuality, Haine said.
“What truly sparked interest with this play is the abundance of humor with an underlying tragic note,” he continued. “It’s comedic in the illustration of the contrasting ways people desperately try to escape from the perceived entrapment of a boring and unfulfilling life.”
Among the cast of seasoned actors and actresses is Amy Mayer, who plays the role of Hedda. Formerly an understudy in “Palm Beach” at the La Jolla Playhouse, Mayer has made quite a career of acting here in San Diego. Some may remember her last role as Cleopatra in Poor Players’ “Antony and Cleopatra.” Mayer is also accredited for her roles in “Macbeth,” “Taming of the Shrew,” “Verdict” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” She can currently be seen on film in the new DVD “Miss Shirley Sees Greatness in You,” and the “Married Men’s Club,” both filmed in San Diego.
The antagonist to Hedda’s protagonist is Thea, played by Hilary White. The two highlight different paths to reaching self-realization in the face of struggle. By means of liberation or manipulation, one must succeed.
Other accredited company actors include Max Macke as Tesman, Brennan Taylor as Lovborg, Tom Haine as Judge Brack, Jon Mayer as Berte and Sandy Hotchkiss Gullans as Aunt Julia.
Poor Players is a repertory theatre company “committed to pushing the boundaries of theatrical convention and experience by presenting classics in a fashion that is both socially relevant and psychologically resonant.”
The Westminster Presbyterian Church in Point Loma is a congregation that greatly supports artistic endeavors and therefore allows the many opportunities for companies, like Poor Players, to share works of art with the public.
Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” will conclude its run at the Westminster Theatre, 3598 Talbot St., with performances on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27 and 28, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 per person. For reservations or to purchase tickets, call (619) 255-1401 or (619) 223-3769, or visit [email protected]. More on the theatre company can be found at www.poorplayers.com.