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An Enemy of the People Reviews

Plays

Average customer review: 2.0 star rating (2.0 Stars)

Number of reviews: 6

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5.0 star rating C from Chicago, Illinois

WONDERFUL ADAPTATION

Ibsen offers an amazingly modern perspective in this play and Doll’s House. The story seemed to come from a place of anger, but that’s where many us are toda in the current political environment. it’s anazing to see how history repeats itself! I disagree with the other reviewers who thought the acting was poor. The cast did a terrific job as they always do at the Goodman. Plus, if you’ve already seen this play, that means you saw it during previews week, so perfection can’t be expected.

3.0 star rating Laura LB from Chicago, Illinois

A GREAT ADAPTATION BRINGS BACK THE SHOCK OF IBSEN'S ORIGINAL

Lots to think about in this adaptation that forces liberals to comfort our superiority even as we agree with the main character's attacks. Wish the main character had been directed differently. Why make Stockman so unhinged? How much more powerful would the play's themes be if the character didn't seem out of his mind? Why the weird last moment where the final tableux veered from realism to schmaltz? Loved all the other performances. I agree that costuming was confusing, was the point to make the time period uncertain? Would recommend but be ready for some flaws.

1.0 star rating Andrea from Chicago, Illinois

DREADFUL

I agree with the other reviews. This is a horrendously amateurish production. It is ham-fisted and fundamentally lacking in any subtlety or sophistication. I have literally seen high-school students do better.

1.0 star rating Nico from Chicago, Illinois

POOR

I agree with Elana's review. Why is it that we need to add invectives to Ibsen's writing? To make it more palatable for the 2018 audience? Are we really unable to see an intense drama without cursing? The sets as well as the costumes suffer from this persistent desire to play "classical" but at no cost, boring. And as such, we have Biedermeier chairs with an abhorring set of prosaic, modern brown panels playing a chromatic scheme that slides quite amply. Echoing this, the costumes bring us deep red and intense yellow pants, topped by sweaters that are supposed to say... what exactly? That this play is atemporal and it could feel and read 19th century as well as a manifesto for today's politics? That would be too blatant. Finally, Dr Stockmann needs to learn his lines better. Indeed, he has a very taxing score to deliver but the short mid-phrase pauses break the flow and make one wonder if it's the actor's style or are the lines not "in" yet? Sad.

1.0 star rating Elana Hiller from Chicago, Illinois

SKIP IT!

Five minutes in you could tell it was going to be an amateurish production. Cues were weak, energy and pulse was lacking and actor delivery of lines was disastrously unbelievable. I thought the Goodman was a more professional theater. No idea where these actors were found, you’d think Chicago would have a stronger pool. And the costumes....sweaters and hideously colored pants. A farcical rendering of Norwegian life.

1.0 star rating Deborah from New York, NY

DISAPPOINTING

I'm a huge Ibsen fan, and have seen almost all the productions of his plays in NYC and London in the last 30 (plus) years. I was in Chicago on business, and grabbed a ticket to this play (I love the Goodman and have seen many plays here, often traveling to Chicago just to see a certain play/performer at this theater). Sadly, it was disappointing in almost all aspects -- inconsistent casting (some actors seemed under rehearsed, too), costumes, set, lighting, pacing, music etc. Finally, it doesn't know whether it wants to be classical or modern (it's neither) -- the updated language also falls flat. That said, I thought Lanise Antoine Shelley was excellent as Katherine.

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