For the City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS — Nora Helmer lives with her husband Torvald and her three children in 1879 Norway. Torvald is ambitious and keen to keep up appearances in a strict 19th century society. Nora tries to be the model wife. Together they create a façade of a life until fate intervenes. Ibsen’s play is considered a challenge to the marriage vows of the time and the actors who play the roles. A Doll’s House will be performed as the culmination of a WRCT Ibsen workshop.

Written in the late 1800s, the play was considered scandalous, questioning the traditional roles of men and women in marriage; causing a storm of outraged controversy that went beyond the theatre to the world newspapers and society. Ibsen was inspired by the belief that “a woman cannot be herself in modern society,” since it is “exclusively male, with laws made by men who assess feminine conduct from a masculine standpoint.” He did argue later, however, that he “must disclaim the honor of having consciously worked for the women’s rights movement,” instead his task was “the description of humanity.”

Ibsen’s plays are second only to Shakespeare in number of performances, and A Doll’s House has the distinction of being the world’s most performed play in 2006. Like many of his other works, its themes are timeless and resonate as strongly in today’s society as when they were written.

Veteran director Cathy Meils orchestrates a talented cast through the nuances of this masterpiece. If you’re into theatre, this is a production you won’t want to miss. Please join us. A Doll’s House runs February 9-10 and 15-18 at the WRCT auditorium in the Centralia Center. Tickets are $15, and may be purchased online at www.wrctheatre.org or by calling the WRCT office at 715-421-0435.Thursday – Saturday performances are at 7:30 pm; the Sunday matinee is at 2:00 pm.