A Doll’s House — the play that tells a story of what it is to truly rule over one’s life. The production that took St. Olaf by storm last weekend was so full of talent, thought-provoking moments, and palpable dedication that it was breathtaking to see. The play is a three-act story that concerns main character Nora’s self-discovery as she realizes how encroaching her life is, and how her husband and marriage have both deceived her.
Directed by Bill Sonnega, Professor of Theater and Film and Media Studies at St. Olaf, the play was chosen as an educational enterprise. “[My main goal] was to stage the play on the eve of what is arguably the most consequential election in the nation’s history, in such a way as to render it not only entertaining, moving and thought-provoking, but as an artistic form of resistance to the rise of patriarchal authority as a nationalist politics, misogyny being normalized as a partisan brand, and female agency, autonomy and reproductive rights being systematically taken away by state legislatures and the courts,” Sonnega said.
This was a huge feat to convey in a three hour play, but with an incredible cast and crew, it was a little easier of a task. One of the reasons this show was so phenomenal was the main lead, Faith Barrett ’27, who played main character Nora. Barrett is a dedicated actress who worked the six weeks of this production to the bone. She practiced line after line on 500 flash cards until her acting became so enthralling that watching it pulled me right into the world of the play. There is a difference between an actor knowing their lines and an actor knowing their character — and Barrett encapsulates the latter perfectly. This was no easy feat for her — she had only six weeks to understand Nora’s complex character.
When asked how she did this and what she wanted people take away from the play, Barrett said that she focused on the play’s relevance today. “I think the most important part of this production is that even though the play was released in 1879, the themes are still relevant today,” she said.
The cast and crew understood the importance of taking the time and dedication to make sure every scene felt authentic. Stage manager Auggie Lehn ’25 worked with the actors during very emotional scenes to make sure they conveyed what they needed to. “This play is a heavy lift, covering some tough topics such as toxic and controlling relationships and suicidal ideation,” Lehn said. “The actors took it all in stride — everyone put their 100% in every day they were called, which is not easy when you have such an intense production.”
When creating such an emotional piece of art, it’s important to do it with good intent, and St. Olaf’s production of A Doll’s House did just that. With a director like Bill Sonnega leading the project and a wonderful cast and crew there to bring it to life, a difficult project was made to look easy on stage. When the director was asked about the goal of this piece, he said he wanted the audience to experience an incredible evening of live theater and for their attention to be so focused on the stage and the story being told that they forget about checking their phones for a couple of hours.
As someone who was in that audience — during the peak of midterms, no less — I will say that this play did what all good theater does: make me forget about my problems for just a little bit of the day. It was lovely to see the dedication the cast and crew put in, from the hand-painted wooden floor set to the breathtaking costumes to the many mise-en-scene techniques used to tell the story without needing words. I truly think this show was something special and unforgettable for St. Olaf, and my opinion seems to be shared, as all the seats were sold out for every show.
