Family versus freedom – it’s A Doll’s House Part 2

A Doll’s House, Part 2 started on 14 May at Theatre on the Square. The SA Jewish Report caught up with director Barbara Rubin and lead actress Bianca Amato to find out more.

It’s a bit disconcerting to book for a play that has “Part 2” in its title. Do you have to watch part one first?

Barbara: Not at all, Part 2 stands entirely alone! But there’s a brief synopsis of the original to read in the programme if you’d like. Playwright Lucas Hnath has done a great job of including all the details you may need to know in the first scene of the play. So, there’s no FOMO (fear of missing out) to be concerned about.”

What was part one, and why is it in the title?

Barbara: In 1879, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, regarded as the father of realist modern drama, wrote a highly controversial and now very famous play that redefined theatre called A Doll’s House. It centred on a female character, Nora Helmer, a wife and mother, who after a series of events chooses to leave her husband and children, which at the time was a revolutionary act. The door she slammed on her departure was said to have been “heard around the world”.

Hnath said he wrote the title on a piece of paper, and it made him laugh. So, he knew he had to write it. It’s far from just a sequel.

How would you describe this play?

Barbara: A brilliant, audacious, complex, stimulating, contemporary take on marriage, family, and freedom that’s fearless and very funny!”

What drew you, Barbara, to direct it?

Barbara: Bianca suggested the play to me. I’m an avid follower of playwright Lucas Hnath’s work – I’m so intrigued by his writing. I’ve seen a number of his plays, including A Doll’s House, Part 2, on Broadway, but I hadn’t directed anything he’d written. So, engaging with this play excited me. His voice is fresh and unexpected, he has a great mind, and a brilliant sense of humour! In this play, the surprises keep coming, and that really drew me in. He has us nodding along, and then suddenly, he challenges us to switch allegiances with characters, making us question our assumptions. That kind of engagement is thrilling! (See also director’s note.)

I had worked with Bianca in New York and supported her remarkable career there, so directing her in a role like Nora in South Africa was a huge draw for me. I’m inspired by the birth of The Quickening, and it felt auspicious and significant to be invited. It’s also so lovely to be home for a little longer than usual.

How is this play different to the original Doll’s House?

Barbara: Written in 2017 as a contemporary and irreverent response to the original, this play uses the framework and characters of the original masterpiece to investigate how much has actually changed in gender relationships all these years later. Have we really come a long way from 1894, when the play is set? And its witty, salty language is completely accessible to a contemporary audience. It’s much funnier than the original!

Bianca: It’s a fresh, contemporary take, and it’s not a drama!

What is it about the show that will encourage fierce debate?

Barbara: It’s a play of ideas that looks at marriage and at women’s roles and responsibilities. Say no more!

Bianca: Everyone will relate to a different character’s point of view. There are four characters, each with a different perspective on marriage and family. Each makes sense, and each are flawed. And you might find yourself changing sides a few times!

Bianca, you play the role of Nora. How do you resonate with a woman who walked out on her family?

Bianca: As a mother, I struggle with the idea of leaving one’s children, but I fully support the notion that some women need other journeys and may need to get away from toxic situations. Also, the idea that mothers must be the primary caretakers and that fathers cannot fulfil that role is an antiquated notion. In my exploration of Nora, I found her to be an activist for freedom of choice and personal growth as well as a pioneer. She’s a force of nature.

What are your thoughts on the themes of marriage and independence? Are they mutually exclusive, or can they work together?

Bianca: Every relationship is different. The bottom line is that a cookie-cutter idea of marriage and family isn’t serving many of us. It’s an individual experience and choice. And it’s interesting and important to question the institution and see whether it really works. Expectations and traditions can be stifling and misguided. I’m a happily married mother, and that continues to be my choice. But giving yourself the freedom to choose and look afresh at your life and not be imprisoned by societal expectation is a brave route to take.

Barbara: I believe they can work together when both people honour each other and agree to tune in to the delicate calibration this may require. I’m grateful that I have the freedom to define the kind of relationship I want to be in. Not all women can say that, even now. I chose not to marry young – I had that choice – and instead follow my career aspirations. My independence allowed me to make decisions for myself like going off on big adventures and working abroad. I really got to know myself, to hear my own voice, as Nora says in the play. I know and value my independence, and I choose a relationship that enlivens both of us as individuals and as a couple.

What was the most difficult part of making this production work, and how did you overcome it?

Barbara: We had a fairly short rehearsal process, and the play is tonally delicate. So, we had a lot of exploring to do. It was really only once we encountered the audience – luckily we had four previews – that we learned so much about how vital it is that they are drawn in and remain engaged. The audience entering the debate, as listeners, was the real game changer!

Bianca: Time! Too little time! And producing and acting at the same time is a challenge! But we’re there now.

What in the show would resonate with a South African Jewish audience?

Barbara: Debate and dialogue, questioning, and passionate discussion are embraced in Jewish life. This is a play that bravely asks and attempts to answer questions we’ve grappled with for ages about intimate and familial relationships, about love, freedom, and family, about responsibility and independence, and it will resonate with everyone.

Bianca: All of it is deeply human and relatable, and funny, poignant, and thought provoking.