Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Wild Duck

The Wild Duck

Ibsen, Henrik
Nelson, Richard

Paperback

Plays

ISBN10: 0881454508
ISBN13: 9780881454505
Publisher: Broadway Play Pub Inc (Ny)
Published: Sep 1 2010
Pages: 112
Weight: 0.31
Height: 0.23 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
In celebrated playwright Richard Nelson's bold adaptation of Ibsen's classic, profound tragedy and surprising comedy combine to tell the story of the Ekdal family. Their peaceful lives are turned upside down when an idealistic family friend arrives. When the secrets unravel, powerful questions are revealed. From Richard Nelson's Introduction: THE WILD DUCK is a play about family life twisted, bent, and knotted into perverse shapes. Everyone seems to have a lifetime's history with everyone else. Take just one character, Gregers Werle. There's his father with whom he has been estranged for many years, certainly since the death of his mother. There is Gina who as a maid helped look after the Werle house while Gregers' mother was dying; his mother accused Gina of have having an affair with Gregers' father. This we learn was untrue at the time, but prescient. Gina is now married to Hialmar Ekdal, Gregers' old friend from college. They have a daughter, Hedvig, who is most likely not Hialmar's but Gregers' father's and so is the half sister of Gregers. Hilmar's father was in business with Gregers' father. There was a business scandal and Hialmar's father went to prison, Gregers' father didn't. Gregers' father continues to dole out bits of money to both his old partner and his old mistress. There's Relling a drunken doctor who had fought with Gregers years before while they were both at the distant saw mill. And there's Mrs Sorby, who like Gina, used to be Gregers' father's housekeeper, but now is his mistress; she once was in love with Relling and may still be. And it goes on and on. This play is structured around learning these relationships and the various secrets attached to them, and thematically propelled by the question: is it better to know or not to know? 'Truth' is stood on its head, as we find ourselves rooting for lies and delusions. This is a very disorienting play. And, I believe, a very great one.

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