Set in a small Norwegian spa town, Ibsen's AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE is about Doctor Thomas Stockmann, a man of principles who discovers that the spa's water is poisoned. He naively expects the mayor to greet the truth with gratitude, but the town's political machine will brook no threat to its prosperity, even if it means letting thousands of people be sickened. Doctor Stockmann becomes a whistleblower, and the public campaign against him mounts, setting up a moral battle between a lone truth teller and a society desperate for self-preservation.
It’s the Covid pandemic all over again at the Circle in the Square, where a radically pared-down version of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” opened Monday. Best of all is Jeremy Strong’s Dr. Thomas Stockmann, who vividly recalls Dr. Anthony Fauci, especially when this good Norwegian doctor is warning a town about the dangers of an impending epidemic. The only problem with making “Enemy” a blow-by-blow retelling of Trump and Fauci’s battles is that what we all endured in real life a few years ago was so much more dramatic than what’s being offered onstage under the direction of Sam Gold.
Whether such directness is successful in imparting something beyond the thrill of live performance – the cascading second half is, as expected, a showcase for Strong’s ability to portray a man on the brink – is, perhaps, up to the viewer. The appliqué of dialogue clearly invoking our current denial to 1880s Norway is at times jarring, at times moving, but in the hands of some veteran actors and immersive staging, at least a night of good New York theater.
Digital Lottery:
Price: $39
Where: https://rush.telecharge.com/
When: The digital lottery opens at 12AM ET one day before the performance.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Winners are drawn at 10AM ET and 3PM ET that same day. Lottery tickets may be for any location, including standing room.
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