Yale Rep’s longtime artistic director James Bundy closes out his tenure at New Haven’s iconic theatre with a masterful revival of Hedda Gabler. Henric Ibsen’s classic is in good hands at Yale under Bundy’s solid direction and a top-notch cast and design crew. This is old-fashioned theatre in the best sense of that word.
Set in 1890’s Norway, Hedda Gabler tracks two days in the unhappy marriage of Hedda (an astounding Marianna Gailus), who, as the play opens, has returned from a dreary honeymoon with her doltish husband, Jorgen (Max Gordon Moore). Hedda is bored and restless. A woman born out of her time, she is frustrated by the rules that men have placed on her and finds herself fighting against the societal constraints of the period. To alleviate the tedium, Hedda takes to the manipulation of people in her orbit. Two of those people are a former classmate, Thea Elvsted (Stephanie Machado), who is planning to leave her husband for the tortured writer, Eilert Lovborg (James Udom). We soon realize that Lovborg is a previous lover of Hedda’s, which dramatically complicates the situation.
A role that has often been called the Hamlet for actresses, Gailus completely inhabits this complex woman who storms onto the Yale stage and towers over everyone in view. Clad in a series of superb costumes by Lyle Laize Qin, there is never any doubt that Gailus’ Hedda is a force of nature. When family friend Judge Brack (Austin Durant, terrific) enters the scene, however, Hedda may have finally met a formidable foe, leading to the play’s chilling climax. In smaller roles, Felicity Jones Latta flutters effectively as Jorgen’s busy-body aunt, and Mary Lou Rosato plays the housemaid, Berte, with appropriate fear in her eyes whenever she’s summoned by Hedda.
What is best about this Hedda Gabler, though, is how well the damn play still works. Never dated, it reminds us about the virtues of the well-written drama with characters talked about and becoming legends before they even enter the stage. Bundy has served the text well by not fussing with it and letting it all play out to its devastating conclusion. He is ably assisted by the technical geniuses at Yale, including scenic designer Jessie Baldinger providing the gorgeous villa setting, which is beautifully lit by Larry Ortiz. I should also mention the excellent translation of the Norwegian play by Paul Walsh. There hasn’t been a revival this memorable at Yale since their award-winning Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? back in 2022. Bravo.
Hedda Gabler continues at the Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut through December 20. For further information or ticket reservations call the theatre box office at: 203.432.1234 or visit: www.yalerep.org.
Tom Holehan is one of the founders of the Connecticut Critics Circle, a frequent contributor to WPKN Radio’s “State of the Arts” program and the Stratford Crier and Artistic Director of Stratford’s Square One Theatre Company. He welcomes comments at: tholehan@yahoo.com. His reviews and other theatre information can be found on the Connecticut Critics Circle website: www.ctcritics.org.
