‘Gabler’ takes too long between gabbing

Joe Delaney

Friday, Jan. 30, 1998 | 9:59 a.m.

The UNLV University Theatre's production of Henrik Ibsen's 1890s classic "Hedda Gabler" had its premiere Thursday in the Judy Bayley Theatre. It was Greek tragedy in a Norwegian middle class setting. As the title character, Sonya T. Evans has one of the theater's great femme fatale roles. She plays it over the top with poses and pauses between lines that seemed to take days. We fault Michael Lugering's direction for the feeling that we were watching a snail-paced silent film with widely-spaced dialogue.

Evans is Hedda Tesman, nee Gabler, wife of bookish Jorgen Tesman, portrayed nicely by Clinton Brandhagen. Amy Ross is Tesman's Aunt Julia, who raised him and wants to be part of his new married life. Jennifer Kramer is properly confused as Mrs. Thea Elvsted, who has left her husband for author Ejlert Lovborg, who was previously involved with Hedda before her marriage. Jim Ballard is evil as Judge Brack, who finally gets control of Hedda, then loses her. Destiny Teasley is the maid, Berta.

Michele Anderson's set design is brilliant, as was her award-winning set for UNLV's "Falsettos" last year. We have praise as well for Gail Lentinen's costume design and Brackley Frayer's lighting design. This version is based upon a new translation by Kenneth McLeish. It is a period play and should be viewed as such, but there is no excuse for those interminable pauses.

There is usually one character in a play that one can identify with, or want to. Not here, not as performed Thursday. It is still worth seeing, but be forewarned that the four acts with only one intermission still run two hours and 45 minutes.

JOE DELANEY is a SUN entertainment critic.

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