Hedda Gabler:

by Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Raymond Hawthorne. Presented by Downstage Theatre. Reviewed by Lawrence McDonald.

'Hedda Gabler' charts the growing frustrations of a young woman, seeking to escape from the boredom of bourgeois society into a kind of aristocracy of the spirit. She eventually achieves this release in, for her, the one 'perfect' act of her life — suicide. Every aspect of this life: her marriage to George Tessman, their honeymoon, the academic circle in which he moves, his aunt, the society which surrounds them and of which they are a part — all these things, quite literally, bore her to death. Only her husbands rival, Enlert Lovborg, is sufficiently out of harmony with this settled society to excite her. But as a relationship with him is out of the question, only a romantic vision of his death inspires Hedda Gabler.

Unable to control her own life, Hedda is inordinately obsessed with the lives of those around her. If Enlert can rise above bourgeois inertia, there may be a chance for her as well. Finally, confronted with Judge Brack's hints about the scandalous implications of Lovborg's death, Hedda rejects his ethic of compromise and takes her own life. Her action, the, eby falsifying Brack's final words — "People don't do that kind of thing". Thus, the claims of the idea, to use a phrase of Ibsen's, defeat those of conformity and conpromise.

Janice Finn, as Hedda, manages the boredom very well, although she should drop the Edith Evans intonations. However, she didn't convey nearly enough of the passionate idealism which emerges as the driving force in Hedda's life. The burning of the Lovborg manuscript was done in a manner recalling the worst excesses of "The Exorcist". Overall she seemed to affect a performance rather than draw on any inner resources.

The actor playing George Tessman was pleasantly wet and his, no doubt, was the intention. Bill Stalker gave a thoughtful performance as Judge Brack, contributing the bulk of the play's rather dry humour.

The director has chosen one of the better translations, a version which is more speakable and less lumpy than some of the earlier renditions into English. His direction is efficient but, perhaps a little too restrained. The designer — on the other hand — deserves to be congratulated for one of the most intricate and formally beautiful sets seen at Downstage for some time.