Last night, we saw Henrik Ibsen's "Enemy of the People" performed at the Washington Shakespeare Theatre. And it was a very good production of the 19th century drama about the doctor who discovers that the water in the town's baths is polluted and, rather than being the hero that he believes himself to be, turns into an 'enemy of the people' because of the potential effects on the town's economics and on the potential effects on the influence and reputation of the town's leadership.
What is the right thing to do? If your position is correct but will cause consequential damage, what should you do? How is public opinion formed? Should public opinion be what counts? When should deference be given to established leadership, and when to revolution? All this and more forms the core of the play.
U.S. Holocaust Museum scholar Steven Sage (see earlier post) has written a book which claims that Hitler was influenced by Ibsen, and acted out his conception of some of Ibsen's characters. "Enemy of the People" is one of the plays mentioned by Sage, who is quick to add that Ibsen was blameless, and that Hitler was the problem. But, I must say it was hard to see the connection watching the play. On the other hand, maybe with the play fresh in mind, it is time to look at the book.
But Ibsen's influence was not limited to Germany.
About ten years ago, I opened a fortune cookie at a neighborhood Chinese restaurant and received the odd 'fortune': "never wear your best pants when you are fighting for freedom". How random, I thought, where could that have come from.
Now, I know. When Dr. Stockmann's pants show a rip, he says to his wife: "you should never wear your best pants when you are fighting for freedom".
So, who writes fortune cookie fortunes? Down in the luck Ibsen scholars?
The night at the theater was odd in another way. The entire plebe class of the Naval Academy was in attendance, bedecked in their dress blues. Hardly anyone else. I felt I needed to apologize to the usher for forgetting my uniform at home.
Did the plebes like the play? I guess so. They clearly liked the young actress who played Stockman's daughter (and who was the only young woman in the production). She won by far on the applause meter. And turned a little red.
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