Q&A: An Enemy of the People

Laura Condlln in An Enemy of the People. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

This season, Tarragon Theatre's critically-acclaimed production of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People returns to the stage featuring four new cast members. Laura Condlln (Tarragon's Sextet) replaces Joe Cobden in the role of Dr. Stockmann. Joining her are David Fox, who portrays Stockmann's father-in-law (previously performed by Richard McMillan), Kyle Mac in his professional theatre debut, who plays the editor of the town's newspaper (formerly performed by Matthew Edison) and Lyon Smith, in his Tarragon acting debut, who plays the reporter (Brandon McGibbon's role last season).

In the play, Dr. Stockmann makes a shocking discovery—the local baths are contaminated with industrial waste—but to go public with it will spell the end of the town's prosperity. Exploring themes such as censorship, environmental crises, social apathy, and political corruption, An Enemy of The People is surprisingly modern for a piece written in 1882. 

Here, Condlln shares her thoughts on how the show resonates with audiences today.

Theatromania: Tell us about An Enemy of The People. How would you describe this production in a few sentences?

LC: The play is a thrilling story that entangles political and domestic relationships, questions the meaning of truth and engages in fierce moral combat. The production has the potential to provoke and politicize the audience - and it invites the audience—both figuratively and literally—to debate about our society. It is very contemporary and will especially resonate with a Canadian audience right now because of the recent Federal Election.

Theatromania: In this version, you play the role of Dr. Stockmann, transforming the main marital relationship from a heterosexual couple to a homosexual one. How else has this new LGBTQ subplot changed the show?

LC: To be honest, it hasn't really. My character is on a quest to make a wrong, right. She's a scientist pursuing the facts, a truth— whether one is gay or straight doesn't affect how you pursue the truth, you're just a human. So in the playing of it, or in the perception of it from the other characters, what comes first is the story of the contaminated water; the fact that she's a gay woman doesn't have importance. And to be honest, I think it's great that it's not a big deal—it just is. Finally we're at a place where a gay character can be on stage and the story doesn't have to be that they're gay. We might not have seen this five or 10 years ago, but what a wonderful thing that this stage picture is a real representation of what is possible in our society in 2015.

Theatromania: What inspired this new approach?

LC: I think when our director Richard Rose discovered that not all of the original cast was available for this remount, he saw it as an opportunity to put a new lens on the production. It is a tribute to him that this is happening; and I am very very grateful. 

Theatromania: How did you prepare for this role?

LC: Knowing that I was stepping into a remount with not a lot of rehearsal, I spent a lot of time reading the play over and over to try to learn my lines, understand the relationships and get inside Dr. Stockmann's brain. She's a scientist—obsessed with her work—she thinks very differently than I do. I had to spend a lot of time working through the big ideas and arguments she tackles in order to make sense of them for myself. I wanted to be as prepared as possible so that when I got into the rehearsal hall I could be free and flexible to play with my fellow castmates.

Theatromania; What have you learned from this experience so far?

LC: That the learning never stops! Joining a remount is an interesting journey—learning how to honour what came before me, but still find a way to make it my own. It's been wonderful to tackle the challenge.

See Laura Condlln in An Enemy of the People until November 1, 2015 at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace. Visit tarragontheatre.com for more information and to buy tickets.

You may also like

Review

An Enemy of the People

Tarragon's season opener is a timely adaptation of Ibsen's radical drama