When Oscar Wilde first saw Hedda Gabler in 1890, he said, "I felt pity and terror, as though the play had been Greek." Compared to Ibsen's earlier plays--A Doll's House, Ghosts, and An Enemy of the People--Hedda Gabler was different. In this play, we find some of Ibsen's most memorable prose in a tragic interplay of psycho scape and linguistic drama.
Ibsen was the founder of modern prose drama, known for his political and social commentaries. His plays were filled with realistic portrayals of women and their troubles in modern society. His tragedies were about ordinary people, and Hedda Gabler is one of his most memorable heroines!
Now, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival premiers Dr. Jerry Turner's all-new translation of the Ibsen classic, Hedda Gabler. Turner's other translations for OSF include Ibsen's Peer Gynt, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, Brand, The Wild Duck, and Rosmersholm. In an OSF press release, Director Bill Rausch says, "We've been honored to have Jerry Turner's adaptation as our text; straightforward and eminently speakable, this brand new version charts the play's complex journey with crystal clarity.''
The Play
Hedda Gabler presents one of the most controversial and elusive heroines in theatrical history; and the further we delve into the enigmas of her character, the more questions arise. Hedda aptly points out: "I think I have a natural talent for boring myself to death." Luckily, Ibsen's classic is far from boring!
Now, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival premiers Dr. Jerry Turner's all-new translation of the Ibsen classic, Hedda Gabler. Turner's other translations for OSF include Ibsen's Peer Gynt, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, Brand, The Wild Duck, and Rosmersholm. In an OSF press release, Director Bill Rausch says, "We've been honored to have Jerry Turner's adaptation as our text; straightforward and eminently speakable, this brand new version charts the play's complex journey with crystal clarity.''
The Play
Hedda Gabler presents one of the most controversial and elusive heroines in theatrical history; and the further we delve into the enigmas of her character, the more questions arise. Hedda aptly points out: "I think I have a natural talent for boring myself to death." Luckily, Ibsen's classic is far from boring!
None of the men and women around Hedda understand her angst: utter despair that comes from a loveless marriage, with no hope for the future. Guns tie her to the past, and they are the only things that she has and holds that do not seem unreal and contrived. Her relationships have long since unraveled.
Eilert tells Hedda, "It wasn't secret knowledge you wanted. You wanted life."
Hedda replies: "I want to have the power to shape a human being's destiny."
The Shape of a Life
Hedda stands in stark contrast with Thea, a woman who has left her husband and children to follow her lover, Eilert Lovberg. Thea tells Hedda that Eilert "taught her to think and so many other things." Although Thea is never the center of attention, she nevertheless inspired Eilert to write a great literary masterpiece. Thea is Eilert's Muse, the mother of their child: the book. Thea is the antithesis of Hedda, representing everything that our heroine wants to be. Hedda says, "This pretty thing has been shaping a human destiny."
Misdirection, loss, and debauchery contribute to the final end: one that Hedda had always hoped would be beautiful. But, how can the ending be beautiful when Hedda says, "What curse is it that makes everything I do ludicrous and mean."
Here, in this translation, the ending is unforgettable.
All quotes refer to Jerry Turner's translation of Hedda Gabler, available from Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Read Hedda Gabler, as translated by Edmund Gosse and William Archer.
Eilert tells Hedda, "It wasn't secret knowledge you wanted. You wanted life."
Hedda replies: "I want to have the power to shape a human being's destiny."
The Shape of a Life
Hedda stands in stark contrast with Thea, a woman who has left her husband and children to follow her lover, Eilert Lovberg. Thea tells Hedda that Eilert "taught her to think and so many other things." Although Thea is never the center of attention, she nevertheless inspired Eilert to write a great literary masterpiece. Thea is Eilert's Muse, the mother of their child: the book. Thea is the antithesis of Hedda, representing everything that our heroine wants to be. Hedda says, "This pretty thing has been shaping a human destiny."
Misdirection, loss, and debauchery contribute to the final end: one that Hedda had always hoped would be beautiful. But, how can the ending be beautiful when Hedda says, "What curse is it that makes everything I do ludicrous and mean."
Here, in this translation, the ending is unforgettable.
All quotes refer to Jerry Turner's translation of Hedda Gabler, available from Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Read Hedda Gabler, as translated by Edmund Gosse and William Archer.
