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Haunted by the Past
Odyssey revives a scandalous classic with Ibsen’s ‘Ghosts’ By Bridgette M. Redman here are many kinds of ghosts—the kind that show up in haunted houses and the kind that haunt our memories and keep us from making the future that we desire. Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is exploring the latter by reviving a classic piece of theater history by Henrik Ibsen. Written after “A Doll’s House,” there are those who say “Ghosts” shows what might have happened if the play’s heroine Nora Helmer had continued to endure her treatment rather than slamming the door on her marriage. Directed by Bart DeLorenzo, this is the Los Angeles premiere of a new adaptation by Richard Eyre using a literal translation by Charlotte Barslund. It shakes off the Victorian feel to present a compelling story that feels as relevant as ever. The play is running at Odyssey Theatre from now until Oct. 23. “The minute I read it, I just thought it would suit this moment so well, because I feel like we’re in a time of great change in which people are rethinking all sorts of things that have been part of our regular behavior or regular expectations about how we should live our lives,” DeLorenzo said. “It is raising all those questions about whether the way we’re doing things leads to human happiness, or are we perpetuating and renewing things that really don’t work and have never worked.” In “Ghosts,” the newly widowed Helene Alving is about to dedicate an orphanage to the memory of her late, philandering husband. Even though she knew he was cheating on her, she stayed with him to avoid scandal and protect her son Oswald. Unfortunately, the past is not willing to release its chokehold on her and she must deal with the ghosts of her previous decisions. It was a controversial play at the time. It couldn’t get a showing in Europe, so its world premiere was in Chicago in May 1882. It was considered
PHOTO CREDITS: COOPER BATES
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Through Oct. 23, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble presents acclaimed British director Richard Eyre’s new adaptation of “Ghosts” by Henrik Ibsen.
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scandalous to mention syphilis and societies considered “Ghosts” prurient for discussing incest, euthanasia, free love and for showing religion in a negative light. The play, DeLorenzo pointed out, starts on the very day that Helene thinks she is going to start a new life. Her husband is dead. Her son is home. She’s built an orphanage spending the last bit of money from her dowry. As of this moment, she believes her sacrifices will have been worth it and she can do whatever she wants for the rest of her life. “And Ibsen has other plans for her,” DeLorenzo said. It’s a script and an adaptation that DeLorenzo said plays very well as it is witty, clever and filled with repartee. Audiences will find it very funny he believes, despite the very serious subject matter and the stunning ending. “I also find it a much more romantic play than I originally thought,” DeLorenzo said. “The love story between Helene and Rev. Manders is really quite touching and the ways that each of them has lived with the pain of their separation. When the play begins, they’re coming back together after all these years. I very much get caught up in the romance of the play.” While “Ghosts” was written as a domestic drama, DeLorenzo did not want audiences to feel like the story was dusty, old or belonged only in the 1880s, which is when it was written. He rejected the traditional drawing room setting filled with Victorian bric-a-brac for a more creative approach. “I really wanted to make very clear that Ibsen is talking about larger societal forces that have created these people the way they are, what he calls ghosts,” DeLorenzo said. “I wanted to show the story and actors on a more open plane. It’s really an eternal, classic play. I wanted to strip some of that away, to keep things as simple as possible and whenever possible, not hit a decidedly Victorian note.” He said the show’s designer was influenced by the Norwe-