Camryn Manheim Instagram – An Enemy Of The People, directed by the sublime Sam Gold, is a brilliant adaptation of a story that carries an unsettling contemporary relevance.
A small town doctor (Jeremy Strong) considers himself a proud, upstanding member of his close – knit community. When he discovers a catastrophe that risks the lives of everyone in town, he raises the alarm. But he is shaking to his core when those in power, including his own brother (Michael Imperioli), not only try to silence him – they try to destroy him.
The boldfaced themes of Ibsen’s parable, the delicacy of truth in the face of mob mentality, the spread of misinformation by the press, the prizing of money at the expense of mother nature — hardly need updating.
It is heart-wrenching to realize it was written 142 years ago, and the themes have only gotten more pervasive, more deceitful, and more despicable than one could’ve ever imagined.
This entire production was mesmerizing. The cast was truly stellar, and Jeremy Strong in particular should spend more time on the stage. I hope he feels the same. I was enamored with Victoria Pedretti, who played Petra. I have never seen this role-play so masterfully.
The production design is beautiful and the staging was engaging and exciting. Amy Herzog’s simple yet witty adaptation of this tragic story is simply stunning. It was painful to witness how far we are willing to wander from the truth in order to profit and get instant gratification, with absolutely no
qualms of the destruction we leave in our wake. I loved this production and highly recommend you go and see it.
An Enemy of The People runs on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theater until June 16. | Posted on 27/Apr/2024 06:47:15
