Hedda Gabler Tickets

We long have been Intiman subscribers and had great hopes for this summer redemption. Unfortunately, the productions were nowhere near as polished as previous Intiman plays we have seen and loved over the last 35 years. In particular, we have attended a previous Intiman production of Hedda that was in another stratosphere compared to the current attempt. We will not subscribe next year nor go to any single performances. Too bad, their plays were always the reliable, anticipated highlight of our month.

The language of Intiman's production of Hedda Gabbler seemed very contemporary, so much so that I was certain that the script had been significantly rewritten. However, when I re-read the play the next day, very little of the original language had been changed. So this effect was entirely due to verbal tone and expression. While this made the play more accessible to a modern audience, I thought it detracted from the character and the difficult situation of Hedda Gabbler. Hedda is a strong, wilfull woman, limited severely in her options by the time in which she lived. While the play showed how other characters impinged upon Hedda's options, it did not really demonstrate how she was truly boxed in. In this production Hedda comes across as a superficial, careless and manipulative woman and therefore you care less about what happens to her, while when played in the more toned down and serious mode of its era, you sense that while Hedda may behave wrecklessly at times, she doesn't feel as if she has any meaningful alternative. This approach was clearly thought out by the company and while I would have preferred a more classical rendition, the production was well done and the set was amazing. Definitely worth seeing.

Marya Sea Kaminski was amazing as Hedda (she is actually the jewel of the festival - shining in very different parts). Timothy McCuen Piggee was also stellar as Judge Brack and Shelle Shulkin was delightful as the sweet but manipulative aunt. The abbreviated book worked. What absolutely did not work for me was the choreography and the over-the-top indications of madness. Sea Kaminski was better able to show Hedda's descent through body language and facial expressions than with all the histrionic flailing. It detracted from her abilities and it detracted from our in any way associating with the tragedy of Hedda. For me the ending ruined an otherwise good play. The rest of it was good enough that I am still glad I went. I have to say, though, that I am disappointed in the festival. Perhaps it was too much to hope for a play on the level of "Ruined" or the American Cycle series.

Poor directorial choices. Actors most likely much better than they were able to demonstrate. Interpretive dance replacing inner life and deep emotional connection to the text does not make Ibsen accessible. It makes it farcical. Want to support the Intiman and I don't care what type of productions you do to get back to viability. All I ask is that the writing and acting are great.

This show was a fascinating look at a complex person, but, while Hedda seemed two dimensional, the rest of the cast were more fully developed as three dimensional characters with weaknesses and strengths. I really enjoyed the interpretation, and choreography used to illustrate Hedda's mental decline.

I went to Hedda Gabler and Romeo and Juliet and loved them both, as did my companion. Of course, I know both plays well, so sometimes it's the case that a production may disappoint. But not at these. They were terrific.

At the beginnning some actors' voices were stilted, sticcato-like, but they soon relaxed and became more natural....natural for most characters given the play's story. 'Hedda's' acting at the end, especially, was outstanding. What it must have taken to prepare for that! Quite a story.

I question the artistic director's choice of this play. No amount of expert acting will change the faulty plot of this play.

The acting was superb, and the production was well-staged. The actress playing Hedda and the actress playing the young nervous wife both gave impressive performances. Although the play moved right along, there were a number of suspenseful moments.

Do not like Festival Seating! Especially now we can no longer take our beverages into the theatre! Play was typical Ibsen - not sure what was going on for a lot of the first act , then she took forever to decide to kill herself! Overalll - OK.