Posterity

Off Broadway-at the Atlantic Theater Company/

Linda Gross Theater

On some days you can go to the theatre and see a dramatic play by Ibsen, such as The Master Builder, A Doll's House or Ghosts, and on others you can see Ibsen himself come to life on stage like I did today at the Atlantic Theater Company.

Whether you love theatre, art or literature, this historical verse drama has something for every taste.
 
The set is the Oslo studio of Norwegian sculptor, Gustav Vigeland played impressively by the strapping Hamish Linklater.  It’s an interesting configuration, with floor to ceiling shelves containing covered and uncovered busts.  In the opening act we see Vigeland'sapprentice, Anfinn (Mickey Theis) and  soon to be housekeeper, Greta (Dale Soules) posing nude for what is now  an actual sculpture that stands in Frogner Park in Oslo, Norway.   Vigeland has big dreams of fame in sculpting a monumental fountain in the city center but finds himself broke and without a sponsor to fund this project.   When Vigeland’s solicitor, Sophus Larpent (Henry Stram) enters with a proposal to sculpt Henrik Ibsen (John Noble)  he quickly rejects the task, until he is convinced that all of his money problems could be solved in this one sitting.  The problem lies in that Ibsen does not want to be sculpted, and  is going to need to be convinced to do so.  This is no easy task, as Ibsenis a self centered, unsympathetic, cantankerous old man.  In desperation, Vigeland with his assistants study and prepare for Ibsen’s visit and formulate a plan to win him over, but instead a violent, heated and sometimes comical argument ensue and it ends with Ibsen collapsing, but not before expressing his outright  refusal to sit for the sculptor. 

The second act brings Vigeland to the home of Ibsen where he is in failing health, but has had a change of heart and is now requesting that he be sculpted.  Ibsen has gone through a sort of spiritual transformation in his dance with death and is explaining to Vigeland that he wants his bust to be for his wife and son, and it should be “me not as I am, but as I should have been to them.”  It should be ordinary and reflect things unfinished so his son may surpass him, and with  a touch of regret to make him kinder to his wife Susanna. The emotion should be expressed in the art which is somewhat of a theme throughout. Ibsen makes many confessions during this sitting and the dialogue is both captivating and poetic. He soon tires, and the session is ended.    A crowd has gathered outside being aware  of the prominent playwrights failing health, and Vigeland is handed a speech by his solicitor to read to the crowd on exiting.  The speech contains words from Ibsen’s own writings, which he never liked hearing.  In the closing we see Ibsen listening to the speech from his parlor window to a dramatic end.

Both John Noble and Hamish Linklater show adept precision in their roles and in the execution of the old English.  I felt transported to the turn of the century, and there I sat in pure awe for a while.  See Posterity as written and directed by the talented Doug Wright through April 5th only.  For tickets and more information visit the Atlantic Theater Company website and check my website for available discounts at  http://www.thisbroadsway.com/discount-tickets.html  ThisbroadSway 3/28/15