off the WALL's GHOSTS Begins Tonight

The history of Ghosts is as rich as the story line is intriguing. Strongly criticized by theater critics of the day as "abominable, blasphemous, disgusting, sordid" and shunned by society in general, Ibsen scripted Ghosts to confront the hypocritical morality of the day. One factor that differentiates playwright Henrik Ibsen from his contemporaries was his stance as a leader of the evolving women's rights movement in 19th Century Europe. He challenged the status quo that women were obligated to accept the infidelities of their husbands, along with other unspoken improprieties. To Ibsen, these destructive secrets were rampant throughout society, roaming freely like unseen ghosts, trailing generation after generation as the phantom ills of society's consciousness.

The sins of the past are at the heart of Ghosts. Mrs. Helen Alving has accepted her pastor's counsel and endured her husband's many infidelities in silence. Ten years after Alving's death, she is to dedicate an orphanage in his memory. Her son Oswald, kept innocent of his father's profligacy, returns home for the dedication. His attraction to the housemaid conjures up the ghost of his parents' unhappy marriage. This disastrous romance, along with Oswald's increasing symptoms of the venereal disease inherited from his father, force Mrs. Alving to confront her own "ghosts."

Created by Virginia Wall Gruenert from three previous uncredited adaptations, director Simm Landres is presenting an original production to the Pittsburgh audience.

Featuring Ken Bolden as Pastor Manders, Weston Blakesley as Jacob Engstrand, Sarah Silk as Regina Engstrand, Shaun Hall as Oswald Alving and Virginia Wall Gruenert as Mrs. Alving.

Performances: Feb 27-28 @ 8:00 pm, Mar 1&8 at 3:00 pm, Mar, 5-7 & 12-13 @ 8:00 pm

Tickets $ 5.00 - $ 35.00 Online: http://www.insideoffthewall.com/ or phone: 888-718-4253

Photos by Heather Mull

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