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.
The night I attended, during that scene, as has now been widely reported, three separate climate-change protesters popped up within the audience, their unifying cry being “no theater on a dead planet.” Part of the show, or actual protest? (We eventually realized it was not part of the show.) Their mid–mob scene timing was impeccable, and thankfully, didn’t destroy the mood. Strong—a seasoned stage actor whose credits include David Ives’ New Jerusalem, Theresa Rebeck’s Our House, and, most memorably, Amy Herzog’s The Great God Pan, in which he played a journalist delving into dark childhood memories—didn’t break character for a moment; after all, Thomas, a scientist himself, probably would be curious about the science behind it all.
But Gold, whose Broadway “Macbeth” starring Daniel Craig was a bells-and-whistles disaster, nearly bungles it by serving the audience free shots of Linie Aquavit between the first and second halves from a hopping bar onstage. The otherwise riveted man next to me said, “This is so stupid.” Twice. I’m sure there is a high-minded rationale for the pop-up pub. Perhaps it’s there to confront us with our own hypocrisy, or lull us into a false sense of security before the untethered town meeting where Thomas is attacked. Whatever the reason, the silly trick flattens the tension the cast built and leaves it up to Strong to pick up the pieces. He ably does, thank goodness, and prevents his director from becoming the enemy of the play.
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| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Adaptation | Amy Herzog |
| 2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Caleb Eberhardt |
| 2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Jeremy Strong |
| 2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Sam Gold |
| 2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | An Enemy of the People |
| 2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play | Jeremy Strong |
| 2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | An Enemy of the People |
| 2024 | Theatre World Awards | Theatre World Award | Michael Imperioli |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | David Zinn |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Isabella Byrd |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Jeremy Strong |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | An Enemy of the People |
| 2024 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | dots |
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