Why A DOLL'S HOUSE? Why Again?

Richa Pareek and Sinchana Hegde play Naina in the double casted A Doll’s House

We did A Doll's House in 2015. It was only the second production of our brand-new theatre company. It was a hit, so we staged it again in 2016. After two runs, you might ask, why do it again?

The answer is simple. We love it.

Why A Doll’s House matters

Henrik Ibsen’s masterpiece is an all-time great play in the pantheon of world theatre. In this century, it is the most performed play after Hamlet. When it debuted in 1879, its focus on gender equality was revolutionary. It pioneered modern theatre with natural dialogue and themes that tackled the social issues of the day.

Here is a fun fact – the play’s ending was so radical back then that it caused riots in Europe. In Germany, the lead actress called it "unmotherly" and refused to perform it. Ibsen was forced to write a "distorted" ending for her, which he later called a "barbaric outrage". Thankfully, the original, now iconic "door slamming" ending was eventually restored.

A personal connection

I have a long history with this play. It was the first play I ever directed back in college. The 2015 production was also the first full-length script I ever wrote. I’ve played several roles in it too: Torvald Helmer in college, Rajbir in 2015, and now Tarun in the Red Cast.

My adaptation sets the story in an Indian-American family here in the Bay Area. For this production, we are doing something unique:

• Blue Cast uses the 2015 script (lightly updated) about a couple with school-aged kids.

• Red Cast is adapted for an empty-nester couple.

Surprisingly, very few changes were required for the empty-nester version. I guess patriarchy doesn't have an expiry date.

More details about the two casts can be found on the show page here.

Don't miss it

Whether you’ve seen it before or not, this is a show not to be missed. We have two great casts. Under Rita Bhatia’s talented direction, it is going to be a beautiful, riveting show.

– Basab Pradhan, Artistic Director

June 5-12, 6 performances at Sunnyvale Theatre.