Hedda Gabler is a cynical, pathologically manipulative, power-hungry woman who is also beautiful, highly intelligent and hopelessly stuck in a role not of her choosing. The magnificence of Ibsen’s play lies not in the revelation of Hedda’s flaws, but in how we are made to understand her motivations : perhaps had she been born with the liberties of a man instead of the restrictions imposed on her as a woman, she might have used her gifts for artistic creation instead of creatively crafted desctruction.
More than the portrait of a person, I believe Ibsen's play is the dissection of a character. Ibsen's accuracy in the portrayal of a psychologically troubled human is achieved through realistic interactions and intimate conversations, rendering the effect of witnessing a private affair normally happening behind closed doors. This idea of the private interior of a person, their dreams and motivations, versus their outward appearance (the image they project and how others view them), was the inspiration behind my scenographic solution for this work. At the same time, I was also visually referencing the problematic medical history, study and treatment of female pscyhosis and the pathologization of non-conforming women.
More than the portrait of a person, I believe Ibsen's play is the dissection of a character. Ibsen's accuracy in the portrayal of a psychologically troubled human is achieved through realistic interactions and intimate conversations, rendering the effect of witnessing a private affair normally happening behind closed doors. This idea of the private interior of a person, their dreams and motivations, versus their outward appearance (the image they project and how others view them), was the inspiration behind my scenographic solution for this work. At the same time, I was also visually referencing the problematic medical history, study and treatment of female pscyhosis and the pathologization of non-conforming women.
Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler
Concept development, stage and costume design.
Concept development, stage and costume design.
