A mesmerizing tale of forbidden love that rather swiftly unfolds into a nightmare, Miss Julie written by August Strindberg is a play set on Midsummer’s Eve on the estate of a Swedish Count in the 1880s. Specifically taking place on the longest day of the year, the festivities reflect on Julie’s upbringing as a child while taking into consideration the beliefs instilled in her, all of which come together to ultimately lead to her demise. Richard Prioleau portrays the character of Jean beautifully, as he laments about “the gulf between what I wanted and what I was.” He emphasizes on the point that once given the lowest branch, he would climb relentlessly to the top.

The celebrations are reminiscent of those held at a mansion from The Great Gatsby, while Julie is initially an elusive character similar to Jay Gatsby. We only know of her through what other characters say about her and she seems to have a larger-than-life personality. At the beginning of the play, we learn of the reputation that Julie has established for herself amongst the farmhands through the heated conversation between Kristin and Jean. Several parallels are drawn as the description given prior to the start of the play provides insight into the aesthetics of the setting. For example, cutouts of phalluses, an abundance of dancing, and this once-a-year casual mixing of social classes made it out to sound very much like a bachelorette party.

While occasionally heart-wrenching and emotional, the dialogue between Julie and Jean fell flat occasionally. At times, it seems that Julie would never be able to make a decision. We watch as “Her Ladyship” gradually transforms into Julie, a broken girl whose issues begin with the opposing views that her parents raised her with. For all the trouble she goes through in order to rise up as a dominant woman against societal norms, she makes an awful lot of commotion insisting on taking orders from a man. Yet, the imagery of her father’s boots subtly on the side of the stage, while ignored for the most part, serve as a powerful reminder that his presence constantly lingers. His ideas and convictions live on through Julie’s actions towards Jean, no matter how much she claims to dislike men. Mikaela Feely-Lehmann effectively takes on Julie’s character development and puts her heart into displaying the confusion and complexity of the character. Meanwhile, Melissa House wonderfully depicts the character of Kristin, who is the epitome of a respectful and religious woman adamant in conforming to the traditions and societal norms of that time period.

Overall, Miss Julie can be intriguing in certain moments and repetitive in dialogue. Still, while it may be difficult to be fully immersed for the entire duration of the show, Strindberg does a terrific job in bringing the social conflicts of the 1880s to the present world and ended the play perfectly with Julie finally getting peace, although not in the best way.