New Take On Hedda Gabler Triumphs Including Superb Lead

By Oline H. Cogdill

Hedda Gabler offers one of theater’s most challenging roles—making a vain, manipulative woman if not empathic at least understandable as she slowly but deliberately tears down those around her including herself. The Shakespeare Troupe of South Florida’s outstanding production of Hedda Gabler: A Life Arranged delivers all the nuances of this 135-year-old brilliant drama, and more.

The intelligence of this version of Hedda Gabler, playing through Oct. 18 at the Sol Theatre in Boca Raton, starts with Peter Galman, the Shakespeare Troupe’s Producing Artistic Director and Founder. Galman’s smooth direction of this production is enhanced by his own adaptation of Hedda Gabler, which had its world premiere in 1891. This drama by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, considered the father of modern drama, continues to show its relevance to audiences no matter the decade.

Galman has assembled a first-class cast, each of whom understand the subtleties and tone of the text. This begins with the incredible performance of Nicole Hulett as Hedda.

Galman’s version moves the story to Connecticut during 1915. This landscape makes Hedda Gabler even more accessible. It’s a time after the Gilded Age when the “privileged class,” of which Hedda belonged, have new challenges. WWI hasn’t been declared and women don’t have the vote. The New England surroundings are a metaphor for Hedda’s repressive nature.

Galman says his production asks the question “When did my life become something I was expected to maintain instead of something I was creating?” And Hedda is barely maintaining.

We first meet Hedda the day after she returns from her six-month honeymoon with her new husband, the smart but boring academic George Tesman (a solid Jonathan Palmer). Hedda returns angry, a bundle of anxiety, jealous of what she doesn’t have. Everything sets her off—an open curtain, several bouquets of flowers, a visitor’s hat left on a chair. She and George have settled into her “dream house,” but she also finds the couple is in debt. Hedda grew up in an exalted military family but that lifestyle is gone and she resents the “genteel poverty” foisted on the couple. She feels trapped like a caged animal trying to claw her way out.

Hulett pulls every shade of Hedda, drawing out each flaw and foible yet giving the character a bit of empathy. She has spent the past six months with only the dull George to talk to and his topics would put anyone in a stupor. Yet Hedda admits she has no interests aside from the pistols she inherited from her general father. Hulett shows that Hedda’s snarkiness—which probably wasn’t a word in 1890s or 1915—is the character’s armor against the world.

Hedda’s special power is manipulation, first with Thea Elvsted (a terrific Sara Grant), a former classmate who has helped rehabilitate Eilert Lovborg (an astounding Seth Trucks), an insightful writer and George’s academic rival.

Trucks’ standout performance further seals his reputation as an exceptional actor. He persuasively goes from a man who, with Thea’s help, has overcome his alcoholism to devote himself to his writing with aplomb. But his fears of a betrayal derail his success as he sinks into despair and self-destruction. Trucks makes Eilert’s story arc believable and heartbreaking. South Florida audiences can look forward to seeing Trucks in more productions, especially as the lead in Thinking Cap’s Hamlet, scheduled for Nov. 6 to Nov. 21.

The chemistry between Trucks and Grant, a fine actress, is palpable as her concern for his future is a guiding force in Hedda Gabler. Grant shows Thea with a backbone of steel, willing to go against society for her own welfare. Thea, married to an upper-middle class unfeeling man, has done something Hedda, fearful of any hint of a scandal would never do. Thea has left her husband.

Gelman keeps his solid cast in motion as each individual personality emerges full force. Jonathan Palmer’s clueless George Tesman is the right foil against Hedda, whose motivations he can’t comprehend. Geoff Freitag delivers a smarmy Judge Brack, who wants control over Hedda. Christine Chavers is the compassionate Aunt Juliana Tessman who wants to embrace Hedda into the family as she deals with her ailing sister. As the maid Bertha, Ana Marie Calise understands the Tesman family and wants to extend that to Hedda.

Hedda (Nicole Hulett) reunites with Eilert Lovborg (Seth Trucks) as Thea Elvsted looks on and wonders about her future.

Gelman makes the most of the postage size Sol stage, which adds to the intimacy of the production, almost allowing the audience to know what Hedda is thinking. Gelman also finds a bit of humor in the play, giving an occasional levity to the somber drama.

The clever production values have much of the cast doing double duty. Hulett’s lovely costume designs are spot-on from Hedda’s button-down costumes that shield her from the world to Thea’s beautiful dresses befitting an upper middle-class woman. Hulett, Grant and Trucks deliver a lovely scenic design with Trucks also adding his skills as fight choreographer. Manny Zaldivar’s lighting often casts Hedda in a spotlight showing her isolation and aloofness.

On a personal note: Hedda Gabler is one of my favorite plays. I have read the play numerous times, seen several stage productions and wrote a paper on the drama in college. This production is one of the finest I have seen and Hulett’s outstanding performance even surpasses that of the great Diana Rigg in the 1980 version first aired on UK’s ITV network with a limited theatrical release.

Hedda Gabler, presented by the runs through Oct. 18 at the Sol Theatre, 3333 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Production times vary. Running time a little under two hours with one 15-minute intermission. Tickets range from $15 for students to $39 for general admission. For tickets, visit https://www.shakestroupe.org/eventlistings or call 754-228-7228.