Set in a small Norwegian spa town, Ibsen's AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE is about Doctor Thomas Stockmann, a man of principles who discovers that the spa's water is poisoned. He naively expects the mayor to greet the truth with gratitude, but the town's political machine will brook no threat to its prosperity, even if it means letting thousands of people be sickened. Doctor Stockmann becomes a whistleblower, and the public campaign against him mounts, setting up a moral battle between a lone truth teller and a society desperate for self-preservation.
It’s the Covid pandemic all over again at the Circle in the Square, where a radically pared-down version of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” opened Monday. Best of all is Jeremy Strong’s Dr. Thomas Stockmann, who vividly recalls Dr. Anthony Fauci, especially when this good Norwegian doctor is warning a town about the dangers of an impending epidemic. The only problem with making “Enemy” a blow-by-blow retelling of Trump and Fauci’s battles is that what we all endured in real life a few years ago was so much more dramatic than what’s being offered onstage under the direction of Sam Gold.
Gold’s attention to texture and tactile detail asks audiences to lean in; the play’s early scenes foster an engrossing intimacy later blasted apart by civic controversy. From the delicate border on Petra’s woolen shawl (costumes are by David Zinn) to the Rosemaling patterns painted on the white set (by the design collective Dots), the production creates a seductive and convincing world in the realm of the senses. But it took a startling ambush to jolt the moral of the story into the moment.
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Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Adaptation | Amy Herzog |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Caleb Eberhardt |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Jeremy Strong |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Sam Gold |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | An Enemy of the People |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play | Jeremy Strong |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | An Enemy of the People |
2024 | Theatre World Awards | Theatre World Award | Michael Imperioli |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | David Zinn |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Isabella Byrd |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Jeremy Strong |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | An Enemy of the People |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | dots |
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