Harper College will be closed on Tuesday, November 3, for Election Day.
Harper College students Xander De La Cruz (left) and Emily Rose star as Torvald and
Nora Helmer in the Harper Ensemble Theatre Company's production of "A Doll's House,"
running November 13-22.
Nearly 150 years after it shocked audiences with its portrayal of a woman questioning her place in marriage and society, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is coming to the Harper College stage November 13-22. The Harper Ensemble Theatre Company’s production explores the timeless drama’s questions about identity, independence and personal freedom.
For Harper Theatre Professor Kevin Long, who is directing the production, those themes are as relevant today as they were when the play premiered in 1879.
“The audience isn’t going to feel like they’re watching history from a distance,” Long said. “This is a play about identity. It’s a play about autonomy and the cost of surviving inside a system that defines who we are even before we have had the chance to define who we are. And it’s about a young woman’s awakening into her own humanity.”
The production features playwright Amy Herzog’s contemporary adaptation, which condenses Ibsen’s three-act drama into a 100-minute performance without an intermission. Long said the streamlined script preserves the original’s emotional power while making its language more immediate and accessible.
At the center of the story is Nora Helmer, a devoted wife and mother whose seemingly comfortable life begins to unravel when a secret threatens her marriage. As Nora confronts the expectations placed upon her, she must consider what it means to live on her own terms. Long thinks contemporary audiences will identify with the play’s characters and their struggles.
“I think the audience will literally see themselves in this story,” he said. “And that is where the piece can become powerful.”
Harper student Emily Rose portrays Nora, opposite fellow student Xander De La Cruz as her husband, Torvald. The cast also includes Harper students and community performers, reflecting the collaborative nature of the Ensemble Theatre Company.
Among them is Arlington Heights resident Alice Brown, who serves as an assistant director
while playing the supporting role of Anne-Marie. The production marks the retiree’s
15th collaboration with Long at Harper, where she has participated in theatre productions
since 2009. Also a Harper student, Brown is enrolled in a practicum course after taking
an Acting II in 2025.
Brown said returning to the stage alongside younger performers has been an enriching experience, particularly as the cast explores the historical circumstances that shaped the characters’ lives.
“I didn’t understand it had such relevance for today’s world,” Brown said. “You think about how many women lived at this time where there were no opportunities. It’s a reminder that the freedoms that we have today were not always available to women.”
As an assistant director, Brown helps students refine their diction, posture and movement to reflect the play’s 19th-century setting. The intimate Drama Lab Theatre presents additional challenges, requiring performers to project their voices without microphones and remain aware of audience sightlines.
Long said the production’s brisk pace adds another layer of intensity, creating what he described as a “pressure cooker” for the actors. Brown believes those challenges provide valuable lessons that extend well beyond the stage.
“Teamwork, pivoting, problem-solving, getting up in front of people – these skills can be transferred to so many careers,” she said. “That’s what’s so important about theatre. Students can build lifelong skills no matter what field of study they end up going into.”
She also values the opportunity for students and community members of different generations to learn from one another, challenge assumptions and develop relationships through a shared creative experience.
“Whether you’re 70 or 18, doing a play with him is like doing a master class,” Brown said of Long. “I learn so much from him. And I see the growth of the students and the community members who participate.”
Long hopes audiences will leave A Doll’s House reflecting on its questions about dignity, relationships and the freedom to determine one's own identity.
“That struggle is not trapped in the past,” he said. “I’m excited for the audience to consider what freedom really, truly costs. Theatre at its best creates empathy because you can sit in someone else’s experience and recognize yourself.”
Performances of A Doll’s House will take place at 7:30 p.m. November 13, 14, 20 and 21, and 2 p.m. November 15, 21 and 22 in the Drama Lab Theatre, Building L, Room L109, on Harper’s Palatine campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road. The November 21 matinee features the understudy cast. Long and dramaturg Mary T. Christel will host pre-show discussions at 1 p.m. November 15 and 22.
For tickets and information, visit the Harper Box Office or call 847.925.6100.