An Enemy of the People

Classical Theatre Company continues its 10th anniversary season with An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen, February 7 through February 25, 2018.

Following the success of its two previous forays into the Norwegian master, Henrik Ibsen’s, plays – 2010’s Ghosts and 2016’s A Doll’s House – Classical Theatre Company will again produce one of the great playwright’s works: An Enemy of the People. Ibsen, known for his intense dramas, pulls no punches in this 1882 examination of the media and government corruption.

Ibsen was unsure whether to call it a comedy or a drama – An Enemy of the People is arguably the funniest of his plays, though by today’s standards, it would definitely fall into the “drama’ category. The play follows Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a notable and respected doctor in his small Norwegian town, as he discovers that the local baths – a source of great pride and income for the village – have become contaminated by local industry and are now poisonous. He struggles with his brother, the town’s mayor, in trying to get his findings published in the local paper. A play, at its heart, about personal responsibility and the rights and roles of whistleblowers, An Enemy of the People could be ripped right from today’s headlines.

“It’s no secret to anyone that government corruption has been a prevalent topic in recent years, having reached a fever pitch in 2017,” says director John Johnston. “That, coupled with the role the media has in shaping public opinion, and questioning their responsibility in doing so has achieved new heights since the last presidential election here in the United States. These topics and more – including industry’s impact on the environment – are broken down and dissected in this terrific play. I’m so excited to chip away at the societal walls we’ve constructed over the last decade and help to begin a discourse.”

An Enemy of the People will be directed by award-winning CTC Executive Artistic Director, John Johnston, and star CTC veteran and Resident Artistic Company member, Thomas Prior as Dr. Thomas Stockmann.  Additional cast members include Christianne Mays (Mrs. Stockmann), Jim Salners (Peter Stockmann), and Andrew J. Love (Hovstad), as well as John Dunn, Greg Cote, Maddie Calais, Carl Masterson, and Jeff McMorrough.

The design team is Alan Gonzalez (Costumes), Jodibob Bobrovsky (Scenery), Mitchell Cronin (Lighting), and Jon Harvey (Sound).

The Classical Theatre Company is dedicated to boldly re-envisioning classical drama on the stage, in the community, and in the classroom through engaging and enlightening plays – bringing them new life and relevance while maintaining the integrity that the works deserve.