If Henrik Ibsen had been an American, he would have been Tennessee Williams. Ibsen's plays often deal with families in disarray in a taut and terrible society, a judgmental culture that winks at passion while insisting on controlling all outward aspects of behavior.
"Ghosts," which TheaterWorks West has labeled Ibsen's "most powerful work," is a prime example.In the rigid world of a small Scandinavian town, we meet five people, none of whom is what he claims to be. But everyone's vision in "Ghosts" is twisted by his own set of principles and ethics.
Mrs. Alving (Barb Gandy) isn't the grieving widow the townsfolk have cast her to be; Pastor Manders (Raymond Hoskins) isn't the pure-hearted preacher. And Regina (Bobbi Fouts) and Oswald (Willard Knox) both have secrets to be discovered and shared.
Even kindly, old Jacob Engstrand (Russ Lees) masks an unsavory side of himself that thinks only of money.
In a way, then, "Ghosts" is a mystery - but not of the whodunit variety where the crime is the focus. No, this is a whodunit of the human heart, where human frailty is the only crime.
Set in the living room of a country home, the play is basically a series of revealing conversations between various characters. And as past indiscretions, indulgences and fears are tugged to light, playwright Ibsen gives us rule of thumb that might be called Ibsen's law: Everybody, everywhere has a hidden agenda for everything.
As the pastor, Hoskins provides the most memorable performance here. His preacher is both prissy and pompous, the kind of minister who tries to set his flock free by hog-tying them. He is good-hearted at times, but completely out of touch with his own humanity and the humanity of others.
As for his nemesis, Mrs. Alving, TheatreWorks West had to do some quick adjusting. The actress slated to play her took ill, so director Barb Gandy stepped into the breach, handing the directing chores over to Fran Pruyn. Given the circumstances, the change comes off quite smoothly and Gandy - always a pro - never stumbles, though she seems tentative at times. As the run goes on she'll grow more at ease in the part.
Russ Lees gets the swagger and bluster of old man Engstrand down, though his voice isn't quite husky enough to sell us on the fact he's a crusty old salt. Part of the problem is Lees tends to be so likable as an actor he has a hard time convincing us he's a scoundrel. (Imagine Billy Crystal as Al Capone).
As Oswald, Knox takes his first TheatreWorks role and does a convincing job as an effete, bedeviled artist. Bobbi Fouts does fine as Regina.
Much like "The House of Bernarda Alba" before it, "Ghosts" is basically a "talky" play about human repression, a topic that seems to in vogue around TheatreWorks this year. The two plays, in fact, are very similar in tone and style and it's odd that the company would mount them back to back.
On the other hand, if you're the type of theatergoer who demands a lot of meat and potatoes from your theater nights out, "Ghosts" and "Alba" really pile it on. All-You-Can-Eat Steak.
The theater company is also trying to upgrade its visibility now (as the ad people say) by presenting some attractive posters and a spiffy new image.
If the plan is to attract a wider audience, it seems to be working. The opening night audience - though not especially large - seemed to be made of rather diverse individuals with a real curiosity about Ibsen, TheareWorks West and "Ghosts."