Baylor Theatre Presents “Nora,” A Doll’s House like You’ve Never Seen Before

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Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (Nov. 13, 2015) – Baylor University’s theatre department will continue their 2015-2016 season with “Nora,” portraying the life of a family who appears picture-perfect but carries a hidden secret that stains their seamless public perception.
The show will run in Mabee Theatre from Nov. 17 through Nov. 21. Performances are each night at 7:30 p.m. with additional matinee shows at 2 p.m. on Nov. 21 and 22.
“Nora” is an Ingmar Bergman adaptation of the novel “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Isben. The play, directed by Carson Murphy, tells the story of a seemingly flawless mother, Nora Helmer, and her three beautiful children and successful husband. Her picture-perfect life, however, has been financed with a well-kept secret that was the catalyst for her family’s success. As the secret is exposed, her pristine “dollhouse” loses its glamour and is stamped with the ugly truth.
“Murphy has layered on a concept which sets the entire production in contrast to the silent but ever-watchful eyes of the family’s young daughter,” said Stan Denman, Ph.D., professor and chairman for Baylor’s department of theatre arts. “The audience is challenged to examine what the implications are for the next generation of young women as they witness the painful struggle to break free of repressive expectations and find an identity of their own.”
In order to make the play more current and accessible, Murphy moved the setting to the late 1950s and early 1960s.
“Setting ‘Nora’ in this time period provides the perfect atmosphere for the leading character to have her great awakening and break free from the constraints of a society that has sought to keep her under lock and key,” Denman said.
Nora Helmer, played by Kat Wilson, “has the best of intentions, but gets herself into a pickle that she cannot resolve,” Wilson said. “In this play, we witness the importance and value women should place on defining themselves as individuals apart from outside influences.”
Wilson is a senior theatre performance major from Forney, Texas.
“I hope ‘Nora’ empowers the women of Baylor’s campus the way it has empowered me,” Wilson said. “That they would see themselves in a new light of independence in order to redefine themselves in whatever way they choose apart from any outside influences or pressures.”
Tickets for ‘Nora’ are on sale for $20 for the public or $17 with a valid Baylor ID. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount.
Mabee Theatre is located in the Hooper Schaefer Fine Arts Center at 60 Baylor Ave.
For more information, call (254) 710-1865 or visit Baylor.edu/theatre.
by Bethany Harper, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.