‘An Enemy of the People’ revival a must-see

‘AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE’: Jeremy Strong. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE
By Henrik Ibsen
Adapted by Amy Herzog
Directed by Sam Gold
Through June 16, 2024
Circle in the Square
235 West 50^th Street
(212-239-6200), www.anenemyofthepeopleplay.com

By David NouNou

Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen was often called “the father of modern drama” because his stories focused on realism and social issues, so it is gratifying indeed to see a topical play such as the thought-provoking An Enemy of the People mounted this year on Broadway. What a difference a brilliant adaptation makes.

It was last produced in 2012 by the Manhattan Theatre Club with a listless and tepid adaptation by British playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz,  dull leads consisting of Boyd Gaines and Richard Thomas and misguided direction by Doug Hughes. Fast forward to March 2024: Amy Herzog has provided a heart-pounding adaptation of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People.

It updates Ibsen’s 1882 classic tale of social morality and responsibility, public health, fear of disease, and political grandstanding. It is a cautionary tale about science and sanity and the uprooting of everything sane and rational to universal irrationality of the masses and small-town corruption.

Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Jeremy Strong) has recently returned back to his small town in Norway with his daughter, Petra (Victoria Pedretti) and son Ejlif after the death of his wife Catherine. Thomas has been commissioned by his brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann (Michael Imperioli) to approve the benefits and results of the spas for the forthcoming summer tourist trade that will be arriving for health purposes.

Midway through the results, Dr. Stockman discovers the spas are contaminated and built over manure-infested pipes with bacteria that will bring illness to many visitors. Everyone stands behind Dr. Stockmann to bring this news to the forefront, including the newspaper owner, Aslaksen (Thomas Jay Ryan) and firebrand editor, Hovstad (Caleb Eberhardt) and let the townspeople learn of these dire situations. However, there is a holdout, the Mayor; he sees his brother as being hasty and feels he hasn’t seen everything from all aspects. Such as, how this kind of news can close tourism down for two years and bankrupt the city. In turn, one by one the townspeople start turning on Dr. Stockmann and his family, firing him, firing Petra as the schoolteacher, and abusing his son Ejlif.

Naturally, the standout performance is given by Jeremy Strong who has recently won every major TV award for his role in “Succession.” Although playing a very down-to-earth country doctor, he imbues his character with passion, trust, and a genial demeanor that is heartbreaking when his pleas go unheard.

Michael Imperioli of HBO’s “The Sopranos”—and more recently in his Emmy-nominated role on HBO’s “The White Lotus”— brings it on: the greed, avarice, turning against his brother and bringing an end to him. He is relishing his bravado on stage and it is a delight to see such wonderful sparring partners.

There is, however, one drawback to the evening: Sam Gold, the director. I don’t think there is a shtick he can ever resist to inject into a play whether it is warranted or not. Excess is his trademark. How can anyone ever forget him inserting a four-piece Philip Glass string quartet into the 2019 revival of King Lear, starring the late Glenda Jackson as King Lear? Or the abysmal 2022 mess of a MacBeth revival with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga in which nothing made sense? This time around, instead of giving us a 10-minute break to use the facilities, he has the actors coming up on stage with the lights on, getting audience members to drink shots and asking them to participate as jury members for the second half of the play, with lots of needless carousing on stage.

However, in the end it is Amy Herzog’s brilliant adaption that makes this revival a must-see for this or any other season, with the added bonuses of Jeremy Strong and Michael Imperioli giving excellent performances.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published March 18, 2024
Reviewed at March 17, 2024 press performance.

‘AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE’: Michael Imperioli. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

‘AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE’: Victoria Pedretti & Jeremy Strong. Photo: Emilio Madrid.

‘AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE’: Victoria Pedretti. Photo: Emilio Madrid.