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An Enemy of the People (Adaptation)
Henrik Ibsen
An Enemy of the People
by Henrik Ibsen
Broadway
Highlights
120 mins19th CenturyExpandable CastingUnit Set/Multiple SettingsPeriod Costumes
Awards & Recognition
Drama Desk AwardTony Award
Winner! 2024 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Adaptation Nominee: Five 2024 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play
Synopsis
Dr. Stockmann attempts to expose a water pollution scandal in his home town which is about to establish itself as a spa.
When his brother, the mayor, conspires with local politicians and the newspaper to suppress the story, Stockmann appeals to the public meeting--only to be shouted down and reviled as 'an enemy of the people'.
Ibsen's explosive play reveals his distrust of politicians and the blindly held prejudices of the 'solid majority'.
Press Reviews
"Crackling and persuasive… a bitter satire of local politics that soon reveals itself as a slow-boil tragedy of human complacency."
— The New York Times
"Amy Herzog’s adaptation… is smart, sharp and relevant."
— Deadline
"Crunchily position[s] drama and wit, profundity and comedy, alongside one another. This brilliant Enemy of the People is notably funny in both its smarts and pacing."
— The Daily Beast
"Lively… a prescient play about the dangers of populist manipulation by those invested in the status quo."
— New York Daily News
"First staged over 140 years ago, Ibsen’s play feels eerily prescient… it also is a striking portrait of oppositional forces both strategically manipulative and stunningly violent."
— Entertainment Weekly
Characters
| Character |
|---|
DR. THOMAS STOCKMANN 40s. Medical director of the Baths. |
PETRA STOCKMANN Early 20s. Thomas’s daughter, a schoolteacher. |
PETER STOCKMANN 40s or 50s. Thomas’s brother, the town Mayor. |
HOVSTAD 30s. Editor of the People’s Messenger. |
BILLING 20s. Works for Hovstad. |
ASLAKSEN 50’s or 60s. Chair of the Property Owners’ Association. |
CAPTAIN HORSTER 20s. A ship’s captain. |
MORTEN KIIL 60s or 70s. Thomas’s father-in-law, owner of a tannery. |
CITIZENS (optional) – Townspeople of different ages. |
Videos
An Enemy of the People – Relevant Today
Available Editions
Publication
An Enemy of the People is a play written by Henrik Ibsen and published by Samuel French.
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Paperback
Samuel French
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