"I am a human being, just like you are...or at least I'm trying to become one." The Importance of Woman in Pop Culture: An Examination of, A Doll's House.
This article specifically covers the revival by Amy Herzog that is currently on Broadway in 2023. On privilege, having an identity outside of motherhood/marriage, and starting over.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I just got back from a weekend trip to Manhattan. One of the reasons I went there was because I knew that I would never forgive myself if I didn’t see one of my absolute favorites, Jessica Chastain, play Nora in Amy Herzog’s revival of, A Doll’s House. This play was so amazing and still so relevant in 2023, although written in 1879—and that makes me sad.
Before I get started, I have to say that I have seen many plays in my life, but this one was unique in the fact that it was the most “bare bones” production I’ve ever seen. Besides wooden chairs, there are no props on stage, and there are no extravagant costumes—this is a major departure from the original production. Everyone is dressed in black clothes and another thing that was really interesting was that there was no hand motions. For example, there is a scene where Nora lights a cigar, but doesn’t make the motion to do it, she just sits there. It was really cool because it was so unique.
Let’s get started:
Besides the bare minimum set for this play, this production has another unique aspect: about 15 minutes before the production starts, we see Nora sitting cross legged in a chair while the stage spins. Honestly, my body hurt looking at her. I can’t imagine sitting there for 15 minutes on a wooden chair without adjusting my sitting at least a few times. She didn’t move or blink as her face was turned toward the audience. As she spun, dramatic music played loudly.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Long Story Short to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.