By Samantha Baird
Mr. Helmer’s Wife at Brigham Young University is one of the most empowering shows I have seen in the recent months in Provo, UT. Stemming from A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, this modern adaptation, written through the lens of the growing #MeToo movement changed many of the issues that I had with Ibsen’s original script, and highlighted the things that I thought mattered most. The fact that Director Mariah Eames, and Script Consultant Rick Curtiss found these parallels 139 years after the premier of Ibsen’s play, is only the start to the wonderful things that I saw on the Nelke stage.
Nora Helmer is the main character and Miriam Edwards plays her in a way so relatable that I think it’s safe to say that many of the audience members present could sympathize or empathize with her. Whether we have been in that exact situation or not, Edwards can draw an audience into her story. Stephen Moore plays antagonist Torvald and is so insidiously frightening. Moore makes you like Torvald at the beginning but by the end you wonder why you ever felt that way. Other women in the show are Christine Linde played by Claire Eyestone, Ana played by Alyssa Aramaki Hazen, and Producer played by Emma Nulton. While the play is titled after Nora, each of these women have a story to tell and each of them share it in the way that is best for them. The most important thing to remember is that none of their stories are more important than another. While less prominent than the stories of these women, the men in the show still hold important roles in these women’s lives. Nils Krogstad (Josh Bauer), Charles Rank (Sten Shearer), and Camera Crew (Caleb Andrus) each tell their stories in a different way and I think that is something important to remember in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Not all men are bad. Some men have an important role in bringing the horrible things that other men do to light.
The Nelke Theatre is one of the smallest theatres at BYU. I’ve seen many shows on that stage so I know how small it is and how non-existent the wings are. But that didn’t stop Ryan Lambert from creating a beautifully intricate set. From the moment I walked in to the theatre, I felt like I was at home, but it wasn’t comfortable. It looks like a living room, but with the camera that could be seen offstage, and the LED studio lighting, it doesn’t feel like home. Likewise, the lighting and sound designs by Susan Kupferer and Matthew Kupferer are beautifully eerie, leaving a bad taste in my mouth without understanding why. It pulled me in so much I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat. Costume (Daniel Mesta) and Hair and Makeup (Ashley Magoffin) are done so well that nothing stood out to me as missing or out of the ordinary. It all seems very natural.
With her concept following the #MeToo movement, Eames takes the approach of a multi-media production, integrating an equal amount of film with the live theatre. Her multi-media production is unlike anything I have seen before and is simply brilliant. This production only has two more shows, so get your tickets soon and be sure to stay after the show for a talk back discussion with dramaturg. You won’t regret it.
Brigham Young University presents Mr. Helmer’s Wife adapted by Rick Curtiss from A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
Brigham Young University, Harris Fine Arts Center, Nelke Theater 800 E Campus Dr Provo, UT 84604
September 13-15 7:30 PM, Doors Open at 7:15 PM
Tickets: $5
BYU Arts: 801-422-2981
Mr. Helmer’s Wife Facebook Event
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