UNC Wilmington's Department of Theatre Presents Ibsen's The Wild Duck Nov. 19-23
11/12/2009 4:05:23 PM
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For its first Mainstage Theatre production of the 2009-10 season, the University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Theatre presents The Wild Duck, Nov. 19-23.
Henrik Ibsen's masterwork is a family tragicomedy of innocence, love and secrets. This innovative version, written and directed by theatre faculty Charles Grimes and Ed Wagenseller, respectively, is adapted for a contemporary audience and set in 1950s America.
Ibsen is the second most-produced playwright in the world, behind only Shakespeare. If his plays are not as popular in America as they are in the rest of the world, Grimes said, it may be due to the stiff, pompous, Victorian-sounding language that has marked virtually all English translations of Ibsen since the late 1800s. Grimes aimed to resolve that issue and create a play that is more accessible to the audience.
"In looking at the available translations of The Wild Duck, I judged that the English-speaking actor would have little hope of sounding natural while saying the lines," he said. "From someone in our creative team came the suggestion of setting The Wild Duck in the 1950s. I attempted to create a Leave it to Beaver melody to the characters' speech while combing through every line of all the translations to make sure I hadn't missed any of Ibsen's shades of meaning."
Director Wagenseller was first introduced to The Wild Duck as a UNCW freshman studying with theatre professor Terry "Doc" Rogers.
"It was my first introduction to 'real theater,'" he said. "Twenty years later I was given an opportunity to bring The Wild Duck to life on stage for a modern audience to enjoy. What we've tried to create is a play that is true to what we believe Ibsen intended. The plot is the same and the story still resonates and surprises me every time."
The Wild Duck will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 19-21, and Monday, Nov. 23. A matinee performance will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22. All performances will be in the Mainstage Theatre in the Cultural Arts Building on the UNCW campus.
Individual show tickets for all 2009-10 Department of Theatre performances are $12 general public, $10 UNCW employee/alumni or senior citizens, and $5 students. This year, the department is offering a new Season Punch Card, which provides four tickets in any combination for one or multiple performances of one or more of the four season plays, with the added benefit of offering advance ticket purchase for all shows. Punch card prices are $40 general public and $30 UNCW employee/alumni or senior citizens.
Punch cards are available in advance through the Kenan Auditorium Box Office at 910.962.3500. Once a patron has a punch card, advance reservations for will-call tickets are made through the Department of Theatre at 910.962.2061. All other tickets are available at the door only. The Cultural Arts Building Box Office is open one hour prior to performances for day-of-show ticket purchase and will-call pickup. For group rates or special accommodations, call 910.962.2061 or e-mail theatre@uncw.edu.
Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu
Photo caption (applies to all photos posted): The UNCW Department of Theatre presents Ibsen's The Wild Duck Nov.19-23 in the Cultural Arts Building Mainstage Theatre. From left to right, Rylan Morsbach as Hjalmar Ekdal, Adam Griffin as Gregers Werle, Seth Rosenke (seated) as Old Werle and Mackenzie Wicker as Mrs. Sorby.
Downloadable Photos
Wild Duck 1
Wild Duck 2
Wild Duck 3
Wild Duck 4
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