Although it has been more than 130 years since Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote his indictment of democracy, An Enemy of the People, it remains as timeless as ever. A troupe of advanced high school actors at Milwaukee’s First Stage recently staged a highly competent rendering of this play (as adapted by Arthur Miller).
At the heart of An Enemy of the People is Dr. Stockmann, a well-meaning and well-educated physician who was the first to discover the town’s “healing” mineral waters. Soon, community leaders rallied to construct a spa with the intention of attracting visitors from around the world. In the 1800s, “taking the waters” often was prescribed for patients with a variety of ailments at the time.
Stockmann (John Each-Scott) appears as a reasonable and amiable man, who is loving towards his family and surrounds himself with bright-minded people who share a diversity of ideas.
As the newly appointed health officer to the corporation that will operate the spa, Stockmann is enjoying a newfound standard of living. “Now we can enjoy roast beef,” he chortles, as the family and guests sit down to dinner. ”We are living to the hilt.”
Meanwhile, the doctor has been waiting impatiently for news from a lab in a nearby city. He sent in water samples for testing after he suspected that polluted water may have caused an illness among recent visitors.
The town’s mayor, who is also Stockmann’s brother, agrees with the assessment of most people in town: that the visitors were already contaminated with the disease before they arrived. Dr. Stockmann, a man of science and integrity, wants to see the lab findings before he reports the situation to his brother. He understands that a solution will take years and a great deal of money to fix. But to him, this is a small price to pay for the safety of public health. He writes an article about the poisoned water that he plans to run in the local newspaper.
Upon hearing the news, the mayor (William Kastner) initially tries to downplay the lab reports. He expresses confidence that his brother could surely find a quicker, less costly solution to their problems. Making the situation worse, the site of the spa’s water pipes was determined by a committee of city leaders (including the mayor), instead of relying on expert engineers. The mayor also expresses his doubts about whether the small town could survive financially while the remedial work is completed.
One irony here is that the doctor, thinking he will be honored by the community for initially discovering the “healing waters,” is soon to become the most hated man in town. The mayor begins circulating rumors and half-truths designed to discredit his brother. Before long, Dr. Stockmann is eventually declared “an enemy of the people,” and his whole family is put at risk.
As one considers the plight of Dr. Stockmann, it’s easy to envision a modern parallel to this story. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci was widely criticized by many in the Trump White House for his views about minimizing the number of pandemic-related deaths. Many business leaders across the country felt Fauci’s approach was a blow to their enterprises. Even then-President Donald Trump attempted to discredit Fauci on many occasions. Despite Fauci’s position as a health advisor to every US president since Ronald Regan, Fauci’s conclusions about the effects of Covid-19 were widely questioned.
At First Stage, under the able direction of Joshua Pohja, the Enemy cast does a terrific job of recreating the events of this famous play. As with all of the Young Company’s productions, minimal staging, props and costumes are used to focus on the narrative. Some of the actors are double-cast, and there is a bit of gender bending, with some girls taking on traditionally male roles.
In one of the most impressive transformations, a teenage actor (Thatcher Jacobs) becomes an aging relative, whose actions put further stress on the doctor’s family. By changing only his voice, behavior and movements, Jacobs is credible in creating a character about three times his age. Other standout performances include Sophia Bernhardt as Captain Horster, Maya Thomure as the doctor’s wife, Reilly Fitzsimmons as their daughter, and Lila Lester as the son.
On a sparse set containing only a long wood table, a set of wood chairs and a few accessories, several scene changes are efficiently carried out by cast members. Lighting is provided by Shane O’Neil. Costume designer Michelle Verbos outfits the cast in plain white garments, which perhaps signifies purity or simplicity.
In the final scene, the sound of rocks crashing through glass windows causes the Stockmann family to take cover in their living room. The horrific scene created by Ibsen (and adapted by Arthur Miller) is an unsettling finale to a story that hasn’t lost its punch, even a century later.
