Review: AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE at TimeLine Theatre
TimeLine's gripping inaugural production in its new home runs through June 14
New home, same high-quality productions. TimeLine Theatre Company is inaugurating its new theater in Uptown in an impressively dynamic production of when truth and power collide and personal convictions are put to the test. Directed by TimeLine Company Member Ron OJ Parson, TimeLine’s Chicago premiere of Amy Herzog’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 classic drama presents an evocative take on a timeless, forever relevant question: are you willing to risk it all to do the right thing?
An Enemy of the People follows Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Will Allan) who discovers bacteria in the water source for the town spa, an economic hub of his small Norway village. When he tries to share his report to help save lives, he’s met with virulent pushback from his brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann (Behzad Dabu).
There’s a natural sibling tension between the Stockmann brothers that Allan and Dabu capture delicately, with the show’s few comedic moments emerging from that relationship, but the power dynamic between mayor and doctor adds an extra layer. Allan and Dabu both breathe so much life into these nuanced characters with Allan’s increasingly frantic and despondent dedication to science and truth and Dabu’s consistently cold and calculating intensity and determination to silence the facts with his power.
While Dr. Stockmann initially finds eager allies in Hovstad (Grayson Kennedy), the editor of the People’s Messenger, Billing (Kenneth Hamilton), a journalist, and Aslaksen (Anish Jethmalani), the newspaper printer, he soon finds himself deserted, with only science and reason on his side. Kennedy in particular captures this complicated moral compromise, as Hovstad’s idealistic morals and revolutionary rants about corrupted politicians and wealthy special interests cave to the reality of economic pressures and his own self-interests.
Morten Kiil (David Parkes), the owner of a tannery that is contaminating the water and Dr. Stockmann’s father-in-law, emerges as a vindictive villain as well when his reputation is on the line.
Despite this circus of antagonists who set out to discredit the doctor and his findings, Dr. Stockmann’s sharp and compassionate daughter Petra (Campbell Krausen) helps ground her father as he feels the community caving in on him. Krausen brings a sympathetic warmth to her character that — as the only female character who is fully aware of her standing among the rest of the cast — simply gives her more power for choosing the right thing.
As Dr. Stockmann follows intermission by pleading his case with fervor, passion, and desperation during a forum, climbing stairs and speaking directly to the audience, patrons are caught up in his righteous arguments, exploding in applause and shouts of support. Nonetheless, the citizens we embody in the house have no power compared to the politicians and special interests onstage, and we descend into the exile of Dr. Stockmann, Petra, and anyone who stands by them, as Captain Horster (Charles Andrew Gardner) finds himself victim to retaliation as well.
The entire production is masterful, from the gripping performance by the entire cast to Parson’s pacing and direction of Herzog’s contemporary script that help bring this period piece into the present. The crisp set design by John Culbert, lighting by Brandon Wardell, foreboding music by André Pluess that marks scene transitions, and costumes and colors associated with each character designed by Christine Pascual all bring the whole thing together and make the most out of a black box space.
The new theater also features a thoughtful exhibit gallery on whistleblowers and Lake Michigan, featuring photography from dramaturg Maren Robinson, that audience members should definitely take time to read and peruse. There are even interactive activities for you to reflect on how far you personally are willing to go to expose the truth.
In an interview with Will Allan and Behzad Dabu, they spoke extensively about the ending and the lack of optimism that you get from watching this show, and it’s true that the very nature of this drama is depressing and deeply unsettling, especially as we watch this in 2026. As we look back on everything that has happened, both in America and across the world, since Ibsen wrote this play in 1882, we’re left aware of how much nothing has changed, or even, how much things have worsened.
During a time of rampant misinformation, distrust of media, normalization of AI, loosening regulations, and increasing polarization, this production serves as a powerful and poignant reminder to examine what it means to stand for truth — and not simply judge the characters from a seat in the house, but to really question the role we play in protecting our communities and whether we have the courage to be like Dr. Stockmann, or whether we are more a Peter Stockmann or Hovstad in the end.
An Enemy of the People has already extended its run through June 14, giving you more chances to see this stirring show in a beautiful new theater. For tickets and information, call the TimeLine Box Office at (773) 281-8463 x1 or visit the link below.
Photo credit: Brett Beiner Photography
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