THE 1041C Theater Reviews

As I walk to my designated seat of 108, I sigh as I notice how far off the center I will be sitting. As I got settled I realize that I have no idea of what the play “Rosmersholm” will be about. I pick up the playbill and flip to the second page where there is an imposing body of words under the title “From the Director.” After reading through the highly compacted and somewhat confusing setting description and plot synopsis, I feel that I will probably understand more when the play begins. I look across stage and notice that this play will make use of several props including, three tables, three chairs, books placed in various places on stage, an open chest holding more books, a curtained window door upstage, and a very short flight of stairs leading upstage. The lights begin to dim; the play is about to begin.

Within the first scene, five out of the six characters are introduced to the audience. The first character to appear is Rebecca West played by Margot White. Margot White was portrayed her character as a well-educated and intelligent woman living in a world plagued by male chauvinism. In her conversation with the sexist and elitist Doctor Kroll, she proved articulate and more importantly, restrained. She met each one of Doctor Kroll’s insults, both direct and indirect, with a smile, never allowing even a tint of anger to show. Doctor Kroll, who is played by Austin Pendleton, came across as an old, conservative, elitist. Austin Pendleton portrayed Doctor Kroll as a politician who was constantly trying to push his ideals on to other people. He attempts several times, in his conversation with Rebecca West and Johannes Rosmer, to sway Rosmer to work for his political party and even threatens to libel Rosmer in a newspaper that recently fell under his political party’s control. Johannes Rosmer, played by Bradford Cover, ignores Doctor Kroll’s threat, asserting that he has nothing to hide. Rosmer comes across as an idealist man who values honor and integrity above all else. He relinquished his job as a church pastor in hopes of entering the field of politics and reforming the age-old political system of the town. Rebecca West and Ulrik Brendel both support his views while Doctor Kroll calls them radical and naïve. Ulrik Brendel, played by Dan Daily, possesses a very strong stage presence and the moment he entered the stage, all attention shifts to him. Dan Daily did a wonderful job portraying Brendel as an idealistic but highly unreliable vagabond. Without even seeing the play further, I knew, just from his first appearance that Brendel was going to fail. The wise if somewhat superstitious housekeeper Mrs. Helseth, played by Robin Leslie Brown, delivers the closing remark at the end of the first scene.

While the first scene of act one provides a basic introduction of the characters, the rest of the play deals more with each character’s emotional side. As Johannes Rosmer and Rebecca West succumb to their respective feelings for each other, Doctor Kroll and Peder Mortensgaard, a minor character, reveal shocking information about the Rosmer’s late wife Beata. When all is said and done, Rebecca West is revealed to have been an ambitious and immoral character that manipulated various characters as well as engineered Beata Rosmer’s suicide all to fit her own ends. Rebecca West succumbs to an emotional breakdown when she realizes her love for Rosmer. She resolves to leave Rosmer and never return to allow Rosmer to recover from the emotional maelstrom she has caused. Before she is able to take her leave, Rosmer confronts her and the two admit their love for each other. They consummate their love for one another in a single embrace and resolve to commit suicide together in the same fashion as Beata Rosmer. Mrs. Helseth enters at the conclusion of the second act, witnessing the suicide and delivering the closing remarks.

Overall, I found the play fairly entertaining and enjoyable. Margot White’s character really stood out to me because her character was the most underestimated character in the entire play. Margot White did an excellent job playing her part because she managed to convey that subtle sense of power in her character throughout the entire play. I found the conclusion a bit irrational and overly dramatic. In my opinion, there was no real reason for them to commit suicide. But the suicide did serve the purpose of highlighting the fact that happiness cannot be found in the ancestral home of the Rosmer family.