Nora Helmer of A Doll’s House is coming to Fairhope High School! How is she getting here, and what will she do?

Nora Helmer is the wife of Torvald Helmer, a banker. Nora and Torvald have a playful, affectionate dynamic, but within the conversations there is an undertone of patronizing statements such as how Torvald addresses Nora as his “doll.”  The couple lives in a Norwegian town in 1879 with their children, Ivar, Bobby, and Emmy.

 The play discusses themes such as “personhood”, “gender roles”, and “societal pressure.” Mrs. Hannah Rogers, FHS Drama Club Director, says “Without giving too much away, Nora, the protagonist, behaves the way she does because she was conditioned by society to believe relationships between spouses should be a certain way and men and women should interact in certain ways.” 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the theater department has been reduced to using a new way of performing. The performance will be changed to a filming, similar to that of a movie. “The details of the changes in performance will come out in rehearsals, but I most anticipate getting to practice more subtle and nuanced facial expressions and actions. On stage, small actions are hidden because the actors are a large distance away from the audience.” Rogers states “On film, however, those small gestures and decisions will be very visible.” 

Previously, the fall plays auditions would be held during the summer. Due to this, fewer people auditioned because of a lack of knowledge about the project. “ For the past two years, we have had to audition for the fall play in the summer, so fewer people knew about it. Since we had to announce the show later, we got to announce it after school started when people can learn about the show more easily.” Due to the performance being filmed, it is possible that it may damage the actors‘ energy as they respond to a live audience. 

Nonetheless, Rogers also states that she chose to do this specific play because she’s loved it ever since she read it ten years ago. The complex characters and the small cast are all reasons why it was a great choice for this year. She is confident in their abilities, and is very excited to capture this “perfect experience.”