Oh that Hedda! She’s a woman who many might call a not-very-nice word that starts with a “b.” But a closer look at the claustrophobic life she led might make any women a tad bitter. (OK, she was sometimes a lot more than a tad.)
As played by the fiery, redheaded Betsy Kruse Craig in Pear Theatre’s current production of Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler,” it’s almost possible to feel sorry for the woman. Almost.
But then she gives her comrade, her compatriot, her former lover, Eilert Lovburg, one of her shiny silver pistols to shoot himself with and tells him to make it “a beautiful act” and, well, any sympathy for her goes right out the door.
The role of Hedda Gabler has been a magnet for actresses for many years (much the way Hamlet is for actors). And although Ibsen created a number of stellar female characters, it’s likely none is more complex, more perversely twisted and more enthralling than Hedda.
Working with veteran director and actor Dale Albright, Craig, who is the Pear’s artistic director, clearly found the central truths in Hedda’s pathetic life in an adaptation by former Pear Theatre founder Diane Tasca. And, though the entire cast is exceptional, Craig hits all the right notes in making her Hedda (who many call Ibsen’s anti-heroine) memorable.
Equally excellent is Ron Talbot as the calculating, powerful and dashing Judge Brack. Talbot allows his characterization to unfold gradually, starting out as Hedda’s friend, albeit one who wants to become what he terms part of a “triangular friendship” with Hedda and her husband. He easily recognizes that Hedda is already bored stiff and doesn’t love her new husband, George Tesman (a steadfast portrayal by Troy Johnson), a fussy, oblivious history researcher who Hedda married in haste.
In fact, that’s a puzzle piece that doesn’t really get answered by Ibsen. Hedda’s beloved father, General Gabler, had some financial reversals before his death, and although there’s a quick mention of Hedda having many male admirers, it’s surprising she chose George. She likely thought of the tedious Tesman as a “safe” choice, but now she only sees a long life of boredom, hemmed in by both the conventions of her time as well as by the suffocating walls of a house she never wanted.
So can you blame her if she wants to add a little excitement to her life by messing with the lives of the people with whom she comes in contact?
Even before she comes on stage, it’s clear that Hedda is used to getting her way, which doesn’t sit well with the put-upon maid Berta (a petulant take on the role by Gretta Stimson). And though George’s sweet aunt Julia tries her mightiest to show her welcoming love for his new wife, Hedda wants none of it. Celia Maurice, as Julia, fleshes out this role though she has very little time to do so.
Of course Lovborg has been a part of Hedda’s life long before she commands him to kill himself beautifully (which he botches up, of course). Long-time Pear collaborator Michael Champlin does a decent job of exhibiting Lovborg’s dueling sides – the reformed and talented writer who might be a rival for the professorship Tesman covets, as well as the debauched, drunken side who unknowingly throws his entire life aside when he loses the manuscript to his new “futuristic” book.
But Champlin doesn’t always find the subtlety that would make his characterization more three dimensional.
Ditto Damaris Divito who plays Thea, a sweet, unsophisticated woman who nursed Lovborg back to health in the countryside and, in the process, fell in love with him and both encouraged and enabled him to write his new book. Divito has more success in some scenes than in others, but the love she has for Lovborg shines through. That’s unfortunate for Thea because it gives the conniving Hedda more opportunities to ruin other people’s lives.
One nit with this adaptation: There are about 10 or more references to the fact that Hedda is pregnant – from Julia, Tesman and others, and all are thrown off by Hedda as quickly as they are mentioned. Obviously this is just one more nail, so to speak, in Hedda’s earthly coffin, but still it feels a trifle heavy-handed.
Ting Na Wang has creatively turned the elongated Pear stage space into an exceptionally adaptable living area for the Tesmans. The audience sits on each side of the stage configuration, which means furniture must work from both sides as well as actors must regularly move so they can be seen from either side.
There’s a wood-burning fireplace at one end continuing on with a couch area and then a writing desk with a chair on each side. The other end is equally as flexible: A long black tufted seat and chair are on an elevated platform, followed by opaque panes of glass from floor to ceiling and finally a door that goes to another room.
Melissa Sanchez’s costumes are appropriate for any era, and the dynamic red outfit with tights and high heels that Hedda wears in Act 2 is a stand out. Rachael Bratt’s sound and Valerie Clear’s lighting are reliable.
Obviously “Hedda Gabler” is not a play for children, but Pear Theatre’s production is a solid one and well worth seeing.
Email Joanne at joanneengelhardt@comcast.net.
Theater review
What: “Hedda Gabler”
Where: Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View
When: Thursday-Saturday,7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.
Through: Oct. 28
Tickets: $35; discounts for seniors and students; 650-254-1148 or www.thepear.org.
