PITTSBURGH THEATER REVIEWS: IBSEN’S GHOSTS AT OFF THE WALL
Opening night of the premiere showing of an original adaptation of GHOSTS occurred this past Friday at off the WALL Theater. The reviews are just starting to come in, and having tried something a bit different for our theater (an adaptation of a classic, adapted by our very own Virginia Wall Gruenert), we couldn’t be more pleased!
REVIEW OF GHOSTS BY DAVE ZUCHOWSKI OF PITTSBURGH OWL SCRIBE
“I found the entire drama fascinating and sat riveted in my seat.”
“The production is hugely sustained by its talented cast.”
“How exhilarating… to encounter a breath of fresh air with the staging now taking place at Off the Wall.”
“For a theater company that insists on bringing daring new works to its stage, Off the Wall did a superb job on its original treatment of a revered classic.”
Read the full review by Dave Zuchowski of Pittsburgh Owl Scribe for a detailed narrative of the characters, play, genre and set.
REVIEW OF GHOSTS BY MIKE ‘BUZZ’ BUZZELLI OF ‘BURGH VIVANT
“… commentary on morality is witty, subversive and downright genius.”
“I wanted to jump up and yell, “Stick it to him, girl!”“
“Director Simm Landres does a magnificent job of keeping things moving.”
“Ibsen exposes a barrage of hypocrisies with a Gatling gun of truth.”
Read the full review by Mike Buzelli of ‘Burgh Vivant for his narrative on the play, playwright and actors.
Stay tuned for more reviews by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh Stage, Pittsburgh City Paper, and others. In the meantime, enjoy the quick overview of the play below before purchasing your tickets.
OFF THE WALL PRODUCTIONS PREMIERS IBSEN’S GHOSTS
The history of Ghosts is as rich as the story line is intriguing. Strongly criticized by theater critics of the day as “abominable, blasphemous, disgusting, sordid” and shunned by society in general, Ibsen scripted Ghosts to confront the hypocritical morality of the day. One factor that differentiates playwright Henrik Ibsen from his contemporaries was his stance as a leader of the evolving women’s rights movement in 19th Century Europe. He challenged the status quo that women were obligated to accept the infidelities of their husbands, along with other unspoken improprieties. To Ibsen, these destructive secrets were rampant throughout society, roaming freely like unseen ghosts, trailing generation after generation as the phantom ills of society’s consciousness.
The sins of the past are at the heart of Ghosts. Mrs. Helen Alving has accepted her pastor’s counsel and endured her husband’s many infidelities in silence. Ten years after Alving’s death, she is to dedicate an orphanage in his memory. Her son Oswald, kept innocent of his father’s profligacy, returns home for the dedication. His attraction to the housemaid conjures up the ghost of his parents’ unhappy marriage. This disastrous romance, along with Oswald’s increasing symptoms of the venereal disease inherited from his father, force Mrs. Alving to confront her own “ghosts.”
Created by Virginia Wall Gruenert from three previous uncredited adaptations, director Simm Landres is presenting an original production to the Pittsburgh audience.
Featuring Ken Bolden as Pastor Manders, Weston Blakesley as Jacob Engstrand, Sarah Silk as Regina Engstrand, Shaun Hall as Oswald Alving and Virginia Wall Gruenert as Mrs. Alving.
REVIEW OF GHOSTS BY DAVE ZUCHOWSKI OF PITTSBURGH OWL SCRIBE
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| Ken Bolden |
“The production is hugely sustained by its talented cast.”
“How exhilarating… to encounter a breath of fresh air with the staging now taking place at Off the Wall.”
“For a theater company that insists on bringing daring new works to its stage, Off the Wall did a superb job on its original treatment of a revered classic.”
Read the full review by Dave Zuchowski of Pittsburgh Owl Scribe for a detailed narrative of the characters, play, genre and set.
REVIEW OF GHOSTS BY MIKE ‘BUZZ’ BUZZELLI OF ‘BURGH VIVANT
“… commentary on morality is witty, subversive and downright genius.”
“I wanted to jump up and yell, “Stick it to him, girl!”“
“Director Simm Landres does a magnificent job of keeping things moving.”
“Ibsen exposes a barrage of hypocrisies with a Gatling gun of truth.”
Read the full review by Mike Buzelli of ‘Burgh Vivant for his narrative on the play, playwright and actors.
Stay tuned for more reviews by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh Stage, Pittsburgh City Paper, and others. In the meantime, enjoy the quick overview of the play below before purchasing your tickets.
OFF THE WALL PRODUCTIONS PREMIERS IBSEN’S GHOSTS
The history of Ghosts is as rich as the story line is intriguing. Strongly criticized by theater critics of the day as “abominable, blasphemous, disgusting, sordid” and shunned by society in general, Ibsen scripted Ghosts to confront the hypocritical morality of the day. One factor that differentiates playwright Henrik Ibsen from his contemporaries was his stance as a leader of the evolving women’s rights movement in 19th Century Europe. He challenged the status quo that women were obligated to accept the infidelities of their husbands, along with other unspoken improprieties. To Ibsen, these destructive secrets were rampant throughout society, roaming freely like unseen ghosts, trailing generation after generation as the phantom ills of society’s consciousness.
The sins of the past are at the heart of Ghosts. Mrs. Helen Alving has accepted her pastor’s counsel and endured her husband’s many infidelities in silence. Ten years after Alving’s death, she is to dedicate an orphanage in his memory. Her son Oswald, kept innocent of his father’s profligacy, returns home for the dedication. His attraction to the housemaid conjures up the ghost of his parents’ unhappy marriage. This disastrous romance, along with Oswald’s increasing symptoms of the venereal disease inherited from his father, force Mrs. Alving to confront her own “ghosts.”
Created by Virginia Wall Gruenert from three previous uncredited adaptations, director Simm Landres is presenting an original production to the Pittsburgh audience.
Featuring Ken Bolden as Pastor Manders, Weston Blakesley as Jacob Engstrand, Sarah Silk as Regina Engstrand, Shaun Hall as Oswald Alving and Virginia Wall Gruenert as Mrs. Alving.
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