On Friday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m., lights dimmed in Eddy Theater as the Chatham Drama Club opened its production of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play “Hedda Gabler.” The cast of seven took the stage to portray the story of a character whom Director Ian Zimmerman ‘26 describes as “a woman of intelligence and ambition, yet trapped in a life that stifles her potential.”
“In this production, I aim to highlight the tension between Hedda’s inner restlessness and the suffocating domestic world around her. Her struggle for power, freedom, and identity drives the tragic events of the play, revealing the dangerous cost of repression and unfulfilled dreams,” Zimmerman writes in his director’s note.
Over the course of the show’s three-day run, the cast portrayed timeless messages which they hoped would stick with the audience long after the curtains closed.
“I think that this show itself is really important especially to a school like Chatham University considering its history,” Zimmerman says, referencing Chatham’s status as a historically women’s college.
Holly Clark ‘27, the actress behind George Tesman, adds, “It definitely has a lot to do with the position that women were in around that time and in some places still are.”
Mia Pirichy ‘28, who portrayed Ejlert Lövborg, reflects on the play’s theme of illusion versus truth in relationships.
“Relationships can be more complicated than they appear on the surface, and it’s important to go into everything with an open mind, realizing that people might be in a different place than you are,” Pirichy said.
Audience members were not let down by the cast’s portrayal of the complex work. As the curtain call concluded, many Chatham students in the audience were awe-struck..
“This was my first experience [with Hedda Gabler], I haven’t heard of it before. It was very well done, I think that everyone did a really great job. It had a really interesting storyline and the ending was very surprising,” Ava Cottone ‘28 says.