Rebecca Gilman's Dollhouse

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was sensational and controversial when it emerged in 1879, depicting a web of deceits and disconnect beneath the placid surface of an apparently successful marriage. Rebecca Gilman’s Dollhouse, playing at the Guthrie Theater, updates the scenario to the present day, retaining the notion that intimate human relations contain all manner of murky and unexplored depths.

“Those are the hotspot issues,” says actress Sarah Agnew, who plays Nora, the wife who takes out a clandestine loan to support her husband’s ambition and sets in motion a web of intrigue. “Secrets, lies, and money remain as hot and contentious as ever.”

Ibsen’s version is considered one of the first feminist plays because it depicts a woman with the courage to walk away from a bad marriage. But as courageous as that choice may be, even today, Agnew can’t help but notice that in general, where marriage is concerned, many societal conventions have changed.

“It’s interesting that at the end of the 19th century [Ibsen] was criticized so fiercely for his scrutiny of marriage, which was so protected, private, and sacred,” says Agnew. “But now there’s this new TV program (The Marriage Ref), where they’re scouring the country for the dirtiest, darkest secrets, with celebrities deciding which way these [marriage issues] should go!”

Gilman’s adaptation travels in the territory between these two extremes, modernizing Ibsen’s characters in a way that largely honors the great Norwegian playwright’s intent, but also provides a contemporary prism through which to view their actions. Whether a marriage is housed in a 19th century bungalow or a 2010 McMansion, Ibsen’s insights still retain their potency, says Agnew.

“People think they know what’s best for their partner,” Agnew observes of the play. “They give themselves permission to keep secrets, lie, and take shortcuts.” And then blowback is inevitable—because some things never change. May 22–July 11. Guthrie Theater, 818 S. 2nd St., Mpls., 612-377-2224, guthrietheater.org