Snow Theatre juggles morality with social pressures in “An Enemy of the People”
EPHRAIM—The Snow College theatre season ends this week and next with a production of Norwegian playwright Henryk Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People.”
The play plumbs the depths of the tension between personal integrity and moral choice on one hand, and societal pressure (and even persecution) to conform on the other.
“Considerations of expediency turn morality and justice upside down,” the main character, Thomas Stockman, says toward the end of the play.
In another sense, the play is also a warning tale for those who dare speak truth to power. It is perhaps the first of all “whistleblower” stories on stage or in film, a precursor to films like “Erin Brokovich,” “The Informant,” “The Post” or “Snowden.”
Written in 1882, the play centers around Stockmann, a town doctor, who discovers the town’s new spas are contaminated, and residents’ health is at risk.
But the powerful in the town, including Stockmann’s own brother, don’t want the truth to come out because of the negative impact it could have on the town’s economy.
Stockmann reveals the truth courageously nonetheless—but receives serious backlash.
His brother even tells him that he will be the cause of the town’s demise and threatens him with legal consequences.
A campaign to discredit Stockmann results in him being labeled an “enemy of the people” by the very community his actions helped and saved. He is persecuted, his home vandalized (before he is evicted from it).
Though encouraged to leave, Stockmann insists on staying and not giving up on helping people see the truth. He proclaims himself the strongest man in town because he is able to stand alone.
Ibsen was motivated to write the play from his own experience of persecution by the critics of his play “Ghosts,” which dared breach taboo to deal with the topic of syphilis (touching on other topics such as incest and euthanasia didn’t help, either).
Ibsen was excoriated for daring to speak openly and frankly about such things, which led him to explore that theme specifically in “An Enemy of the People.”
Snow’s production of the play runs today through Saturday, and next Monday-Thursday, April 21-24, at the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m., though audiences are requested to be in their seats 15 minutes prior to showtime.
Tickets are $10 for adults, or $8 for seniors (60+) and youth (5-18). All tickets are general admission. They can be purchased by going online to www.snow.edu/academics/fineart, and then scrolling to the online flier for the play on the date or your choice, and clicking on the flier image.