Bart DeLorenzo's ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE to be Presented at the Odyssey Theatre
The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble production opens August 22, with performances continuing through September 27 at the Odyssey’s home in West L.A.
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Director Bart DeLorenzo is bringing Henrik Ibsen’s Enemy of the People into the 21st century with a new adaptation that thrusts the play’s central conflicts—between public health and economic survival, individual conscience and collective will—into sharp contemporary focus. The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble production opens August 22, with performances continuing through September 27 at the Odyssey’s home in West L.A. Three low-priced previews precede the opening on August 19, 20 and 21.
Ripping Ibsen’s classic out of the 19th century, DeLorenzo relocates the action to America in 2026, where battles over public health, economic survival, misinformation and political polarization have become defining features of American life.
The Odyssey cast includes Jay Paulson as Dr. Stockmann; Jason McBeth as his brother, the town mayor; Cara Mitsuko as his wife, Kate; Dennis Dun as his father-in-law, Martin Kiel; DeJuan Christopher and Clay Hollander as the editor and reporter of local news site The People’s Voice; and Lauren Campedelli as the news site’s wealthy backer.
The creative team includes scenic and Costume Designer Frederica Nascimento, lighting designer W. Alejandro Melendez and sound designer Jonathan Flikkie. The stage manager is Katie Chabot. Beth Hogan produces for Odyssey Theatre Ensemble.
Ibsen wrote Enemy of the People after the firestorm surrounding his groundbreaking drama Ghosts, which scandalized audiences by openly discussing adultery, venereal disease and the hypocrisy of respectable society. Vilified by critics and moralists alike, Ibsen responded with a play about what happens when someone speaks an uncomfortable truth—and discovers that facts alone are rarely enough to change minds.
Founded in 1969 by the late Ron Sossi, a visionary leader of Los Angeles’ intimate theater movement, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble has spent more than five decades championing fearless, adventurous work. Today, the company continues that legacy with productions that challenge audiences and ignite conversation.
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