Jess Ward
Staff Writer
As the spring semester heads into its halfway point, seniors across St. Michael’s College are feeling the pressure of their final thesis, project, and presentation deadlines. Molly Lovell, ’19, is no exception to the sting. Her project is about bringing a 140-year-old story to life on the St. Michael’s main stage with four performances of Henrik Iben’s A Doll’s House.
A Doll’s House is a three-act play that premiered in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1879. It was controversial at the time for its progressive feminist attitudes as it served as a commentary on the lack of opportunities for women during that time. Being about a woman fighting for her rights against male superiority, women today are still connecting with it.
“When I was a sophomore, my professor Cathy Hurst was talking to me about what I should do for my senior thesis. She gave me an adaptation of A Doll’s House to read and I really connected with the character Nora. She really speaks to me, and the show is still relevant today 140 years later now with the #MeToo movement and what it means to be a woman.” Lovell said.
Nora is a happy, bubbly character and is often reduced to just that, however she is determined to display her intelligence and capabilities beyond just being a happy-go-lucky wife. She is keeping a massive secret, one that could destroy her own life as well as her family’s – but she is doing so out of courage and the hopes of improving her own life. “She’s a strong woman. I connect with her happiness and her willingness to care for others. It’s admirable, and it’s what I want to be.” Lovell said.
Director Kathryn Markey, who is also a visiting professor from New York, has an extensive background in directing all across New England and New York, saw this play as a unique opportunity for both her and the students. “Plays like this are not produced where entertainment is the driver. It is produced where thought and political ideology is the driver. It’s a play about men and women, and it’s a play about asking whether it’s possible to live a full and happy life when social inequality is not only the norm, but also the law.”
Professor Peter Harrigan has directed the past four main stage plays for St. Michael’s College, but felt that Markey would be a better fit for this production. “We want to expose the kids to working with different people. Different directors mean experiences. [Kathryn] Markey went to St. Michael’s, she has worked with the Playhouse, so she’s very deeply connected to the school. She has something different to offer the students,” said Harrigan.
In the past, theatre majors have opted to write their own productions for their senior thesis, but Lovell took a different, more inclusive route. “I knew I wanted my project to be a main stage performance. I really wanted it to be one that a lot of people can get involved with. I have friends doing set design, sound design, and it’s so cool seeing it all come together as we do it together.” Though, St. Michael’s College putting on a senior project as a main stage is one that is unique to the institution. “It’s partially because the department is so small and they can, but there’s more to it than that. I don’t know any place where a student can do a play like this on a main stage for their senior project. The department may have gotten smaller in the last couple years, but it has opened so many opportunities for students,” Markey said.
A Doll’s House is running at the McCarthy Arts Center March 6-9 at 7 p.m.