A Doll's House, Part 2

A Doll's House, Part 2
Written byLucas Hnath
Date premieredApril 9th, 2017
Place premieredSouth Coast Repertory
Original languageEnglish
SubjectA Doll's House

A Doll's House, Part 2 is a 2017 play written by Lucas Hnath. The play premiered at the South Coast Repertory, in April 2017, before transferring to Broadway at the John Golden Theatre. The play "picks up after Henrik Ibsen's 1879 play A Doll's House concludes".[1]

Productions

The play was commissioned by South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California, where it was directed by Shelley Butler in April 2017.[2] The play opened on Broadway on April 27, 2017, after previews, which began on March 30, 2017, at the John Golden Theatre. The Broadway production was directed by Sam Gold and the cast featured Laurie Metcalf, Chris Cooper, Jayne Houdyshell, and Condola Rashād. [3] This marked Hnath's Broadway debut.[4]

The Broadway production had been extended to January 7, 2018, past the original 16-week limited engagement closing in July.[5] However, it was announced on September 6, 2017 that the production would close on September 24, 2017.[6]

Metcalf, Cooper, and Rashād exited the production on July 23. They were replaced by Julie White as Nora, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Torvald, and Erin Wilhelmi as Emmy.

The Melbourne Theatre Company is scheduled to present the Australian premiere, featuring Marta Dusseldorp, opening in August 2018.[7]

A production directed by James Macdonald and starring Noma Dumezweni premiered in the UK on 10 June 2022 - 6 August 2022 at the Donmar Warehouse.[8]

Overview

The play, set in 1894, concerns Nora, who had left her family and then returns after 15 years. The play examines the "rules of society and gender."[9]

Characters

  • Nora Helmer
  • Torvald Helmer
  • Emmy Helmer, the daughter of Nora and Torvald
  • Anne Marie, the Helmer family's nanny

Synopsis

The play begins with a knock on the door — the same door that was slammed shut fifteen years earlier when Nora exited at the end of Ibsen’s play. Nora has returned, and it is she who is knocking. After leaving her husband, children, and the nursemaid, Nora became a successful feminist novelist. The reason for her return is to finalize a divorce from Torvald; she needs him to sign the legal papers. Nora is questioned about what she has been doing, and the family and the nursemaid express their recriminations of her.[10][11][12]

Awards and nominations

Laurie Metcalf was nominated for the 2017 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actress in a Play, and Jayne Houdyshell was nominated for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play.[13]

The play was nominated for the 2017 Outer Critics Circle Awards: Outstanding New Broadway Play, Outstanding Actress in a Play (Laurie Metcalf) and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Jayne Houdyshell).[14]

The play received eight 2017 Tony Award nominations: Best Play, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Chris Cooper), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play (Laurie Metcalf), Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Jayne Houdyshell and Condola Rashād), Best Direction of a Play (Sam Gold) and Best Costume Design of a Play (David Zinn).[15]

Metcalf won the 2017 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play.[16]

References

  1. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Laurie Metcalf and Chris Cooper Will Star in Broadway’s 'A Doll's House, Part 2'" Playbill, October 7, 2016
  2. ^ A Doll's House Part 2 scr.org, retrieved April 7, 2017
  3. ^ McPhee, Ryan and Clement, Olivia. "Read Reviews for Broadway’s 'A Doll's House, Part 2' " Playbill, April 27, 2017
  4. ^ McPhee, Ryan. "Laurie Metcalf, Chris Cooper & More Will Bring Lucas Hnath's 'A Doll's House, Part 2' to Broadway" broadway.com, September 6, 2016 - Internet Archive copy "A Doll's House, Part 2 Announces Closing Date" dated 06.09.2017 retrieved 26.06.2021
  5. ^ [1] washingtonpost.com, retrieved August 3, 2017
  6. ^ Peikert, Mark. " 'A Doll's House, Part 2' Announces Closing Date" Playbill, September 6, 2017
  7. ^ Woodhead, Cameron (2017-08-28). "MTC 2018 program brings Geoffrey Rush, Patricia Cornelius, National Theatre and more to Melbourne stage". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
  8. ^ "Donmar Theatre: A Doll's House, Part 2". Donmar Theatre. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  9. ^ Luppi, Kathleen. "South Coast Repertory celebrates 20th Pacific Playwrights Festival" Los Angeles Times, April 11, 2017
  10. ^ Brantley, Ben. Review: A Sequel Asks, Who’s Knocking on the Door at ‘A Doll’s House’? The New York Times. APRIL 27, 2017
  11. ^ Als, Hinton. LUCAS HNATH’S LEAP OF FAITH INTO “A DOLL’S HOUSE”. The New Yorker. May 8, 2017.
  12. ^ Schulman, Michael. THE FEMINIST CONSULTANTS FOR “A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2” The New Yorker. May 22, 2017.
  13. ^ McPhee, Ryan. " 'Hello, Dolly!', 'Come From Away', and 'Anastasia' Lead 2017 Drama Desk Award Nominations" Playbill, April 27, 2017
  14. ^ "outer Critics Circle Nominations Announced" broadwayworld.com, April 25, 2017
  15. ^ Staff. "2017 Tony Award Nominations: 'The Great Comet' and 'Hello, Dolly!' Lead the Pack" Playbill, May 2, 2017
  16. ^ “Illinois native Laurie Metcalf wins Tony Award for best actress”.[permanent dead link‍] ABC Eyewitness News. June 11, 2017