Ibsen’s 1884 play The Wild Duck is an accessible, provocative, modern family drama. The idealistic and dogmatic Gregers Werle exposes his unethical father and the self-deception of his childhood friend, Hjalmar Ekdal, ultimately leading to tragedy for Hjalmar’s daughter, Hedvig. 

Directing this rarely produced masterpiece showcasing the playwright’s genius for creating complex and compelling characters, Simon Godwin observes “Ibsen was consciously trying to redirect us from the easy classification of 'this is a comedy, this is a tragedy.’ And he was following the steps of the late plays of Shakespeare in recognizing that we can move dexterously from something that makes us smile to something that makes us cry. The tragedy and the comedy are a 'mingled yarn' (to quote Shakespeare) of emotional possibility. We are drawn in and left to consider the role of truth in our own lives.

Monica helped underwrite this acclaimed production by director Simon Godwin which will be moving from New York to Washington DC’s Shakespeare Theatre.

The Wild Duck reviews