Laura Condlln Plays 'Dr. Stockmann' in Tarragon Theatre's AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, Opening Tonight

Tarragon Theatre presents a remount of AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, a huge critical and popular success for the theatre last year. A contemporary mirror for our times, AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE opens tonight, October 14, and runs to November 1 in Tarragon's Mainspace.

The most significant casting change is Laura Condlln (Tarragon's Sextet, Soulpepper's The Dybyyk, The Norman Conquests; 11 seasons at Stratford Festival) taking over the central role of Dr. Stockmann, originally written as a male character and performed by Joe Cobden last season. This English-language rendition of Florian Borchmeyer's and Thomas Ostermeier's celebrated Schaubühne (Berlin) adaptation and production of AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE by Henrik Ibsen again promises to be one of the most exciting events of the theatre season in Toronto.

Joining her are new cast members: veteran David Fox, one of Canada's finest actors, who portrays Stockmann's father-in-law (previously performed by Richard McMillan), Kyle Mac in his professional theatre debut, who plays the editor of the town's newspaper (formerly performed by Matthew Edison) and Lyon Smith, in his Tarragon acting debut, who plays the reporter (Brandon McGibbon's role last season).

Tom Barnett (Tarragon's Courageous, How It Works; Theatre Passe Muraille / Mirvish national tour of The Drawer Boy), Tamara Podemski (first Canadian actress and first Native American to win Special Jury Prize for Acting at Sundance Film Festival for Four Sheets to the Wind, original Canadian cast of RENT then RENT on Broadway) and Rick Roberts (2014 ACTRA Toronto Award for title role in CBC-TV movie Jack about Jack Layton; Tarragon's The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs, Molière, John and Beatrice) return to re-create their roles as the town's newspaper publisher, Stockmann's wife and Stockman's politician brother, respectively.

Tarragon's Artistic Director, Richard Rose, once again directs the Toronto staging of Maria Milisavljevic's English translation of Borchmeyer's adaptation which sets this classic but timely drama in a 21st-century spa town.

As Rose recalls: "Tar sands, climate change, fracking, pipelines, Walkerton, the cod and salmon fisheries, tailing ponds and ethical oil; all came to mind as I experienced the compelling Schaubühne production in Berlin. I knew instantly then that we had to produce it. I am grateful to Thomas Ostermeier and Florian Borchmeyer for the opportunity to once again render an English-language version of their original Schaubühne production. Their contemporary take spoke clearly, directly and with complexity to the current Canadian struggle of environment versus economy. Our audiences embraced it wholeheartedly last season and Tarragon is proud to mount it once again."

In the play, Dr. Stockmann makes a shocking discovery - the town's local baths are contaminated with industrial waste - but to go public with it will spell the end of the town's prosperity. With reputations and relationships at stake, Dr. Stockmann must choose the right course of action. Censored scientists, environmental crises, the pitfalls of democracy and anarchist manifestos - AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE is as alive now as it was in 1882.

"This incarnation features many new cast members including the lead role of Dr. Stockmann being played by Laura Condlln," the director notes. "I am very excited to see how this new family dynamic impacts the story of Dr. Stockmann and the high-stakes decision she is forced to make, heavily impacted by the relationships she has with her wife, father and brother."

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) was a Norwegian playwright who authored some of modern theatre's most celebrated plays: Brand (1865), A Doll's House (1868), Peer Gynt (1876), Ghosts (1881), AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE (1882), Rosmersholm (1886), Hedda Gabler (1890) and The Master Builder (1892). Ibsen is widely considered to be one of the most important playwrights of the modern era.

The design team returns with set and costume design by Michelle Tracey, lighting design by Jason Hand and sound design by Thomas Ryder Payne. The stage manager is Marinda de Beer.

Richard Rose is the Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre. Prior to joining Tarragon in 2002, Rose was Founding Artistic Director at Necessary Angel (a position he held from 1978-2002), Associate Director for Canadian Stage Company, Director of the Stratford Festival Young Company and spent ten seasons directing at the Stratford Festival. He has directed plays across Canada, the United States, and in London's West End in styles ranging from the environmental to the classical. Rose is well known for developing new work, including four plays that won the Governor General's Award and nine other nominated plays. He is a four-time Dora Award winner for direction and production and has had numerous nominations. He has also been honoured with a Doctorate of Sacred Letters (jure dignitatus) from Thorneloe University (Sudbury, his home town), the Canada Council Walter Carsen Award for Excellence in the Arts and the City of Toronto's Barbara Hamilton Award for the same.

IF YOU GO:

Tarragon Theatre presents

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

By Henrik Ibsen

Adapted by Florian Borchmeyer

Originally adapted for the Schaubühne (Berlin)

English translation by Maria Milisavljevic

Toronto staging by Richard Rose

Starring Tom Barnett, Laura Condlln, David Fox, Kyle Mac, Tamara Podemski,

Rick Roberts and Lyon Smith

Set and Costume Design by Michelle Tracey

Lighting Design by Jason Hand

Sound Design by Thomas Ryder Payne

Opens October 14 and runs to November 1, 2015 (Previews from October 7)

Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace, 30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto, M5R 1X3

Tuesday-Saturday at 8pm; Saturday & Sunday at 2:30pm; Wed matinees on Oct 14, 21, 28 at 1:30pm

Tickets can be purchased by calling Tarragon Patron Services at 416.531.1827 or by visiting www.tarragontheatre.com

Regular Tickets range from $28-$60 with discounts for seniors, students, groups and artsworkers.

Rush Tickets: For every performance excluding opening night, specially priced $15 Rush Tickets will be sold (subject to availability) in person at the Box Office two hours before show time.

Follow Tarragon on Twitter @TarragonTheatre for updates on rush ticket availability and special ticket offers.

Tarragon Theatre is one of Canada's most important arts institutions. For 45 years, Tarragon Theatre has created, developed and produced new plays by home-grown artists as well as significant works from the world stage, vitally contributing to the important legacy of a Canadian culture. Since its founding, over 190 works have premiered at Tarragon and over 500 scripts have been created and workshopped, receiving 34 nominations and 11 wins for the Governor General's Literary Award. Tarragon received the 2012 Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts in recognition of producing and developing leading edge and thought-provoking Canadian Theatre, both nationally and on the world stage. Richard Rose has been the Artistic Director since 2002.

Photo by Tim Brown