‘NORA’
7:30 p.m. The Weekend Theater. $12-$16.

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Though Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” was controversial in its day for its unconventional approach to the prevailing social norms of the late 19th century, the work is unquestionably one of the cornerstones of contemporary realist drama. It’s one of the most widely produced works of any playwright of any era.

So why would Ingmar Bergman want to remake it? Matt Patton, director of The Weekend Theater’s production of “Nora,” offers some insight in his director’s note: “As to the former, I can only speculate that [Bergman] felt the need to address what he (and many other directors and critics) perceived as a basic flaw: Nora’s transformation from a naïve child to a mature woman in the matter of only a few days.”

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Patton figures Bergman cut out about one-third of the lines of dialogue in the original. “So what, then, did Bergman add? Nothing! As best as I can determine, he did not create a single line of dialogue. He did, however, significantly rewrite some stage directions, most notably in the final scene, and thus giving that scene a completely different orientation. Even if you are familiar with the original, I think you will be startled by the conclusion of Nora.” Sounds interesting.

The Weekend Theater‘s production of “Nora” runs at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 19.

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