Mr. Bengt’s Wifeby August Strindberg
|
First English translation
by Malin Tybåhl and Laurence Carr |
Mr. Bengt’s Wife is the passionate story of Margit, an orphan and rebellious novice who breaks her convent vows to marry her “Knight”, Lord Bengt, a wealthy landowner. Her husband’s fortunes soon dwindle, and she seeks her freedom from her approaching poverty. As her marriage dissolves. she is hotly pursued by the convent Priest, and a childhood friend who is now the Bailiff of the town. Her love/hate relationship with Bengt also continues, adding to Margit’s personal revolution with 19th century society’s view of women and the emerging feminist movement. Seeking to end her life, Margit finds herself a “new woman”, who will engage with men, women and society on her own terms. Mr. Bengt’s Wife is Strindberg’s rebuttal to Henrik Ibsen’s, A Doll’s House, interweaving scenes of realism and dreamscape into a powerful dramatic work from one of the masters of modernism.
Mr. Bengt’s Wife premiered at the August Strindberg Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street, New York City on September 15, 2013. It was produced in New York City by Robert Greer with the cooperation of Theatre Resources Unlimited.
Words of Praise for Mr. Bengt’s Wife
“A Strindberg Rarity—Mr. Bengt’s Wife--An Answer to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House”
“Mr. Bengt’s Wife, in its American premiere (translated by Malin Tybåhl and Laurence Carr) treated me to an insightful view of a master in his early development. A no-holes-barred tale of hysteria, gender expectations and personal redemption, it is a mirror opposite of the mature and organized Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. The play is still ground-breaking, one of the true classics of progressive theatre.
Mr. Bengt’s Wife is a delirious collection of scenes boasting a lyricism approaching madness, with a heightened Shakespearian influence running through its modern language. Bengt is a transitional piece, like one of a great composer finding his voice. And it is a glorious voice he is crafting.
The work is deeply emotional—ultimately leading toward a human conclusion. It has a stylized, episodic element to it, almost dream-like. Directed by Craig Baldwin, the piece was allowed to breathe, but always moved forward in its action. Kersti Bryan, well suited to the demanding role of Margit, never missed a beat, transforming herself from the high-flying, overly optimistic girl to the bitter and unforgiving wife and then back again, prompting us to ask if she is dangerously unstable or merely a multifaceted woman.
Melody Breyer-Grell, The Huffington Post, 9/19/13The full review is available at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melody-breyergrell/strindberg-rarity
or by searching in Huffington Post Entertainment and entering Mr. Bengt’s Wife Review.
“The August Strindberg Repertory Theatre digs deep into the Swedish misanthrope’s trunk of obscurities to unearth this 1882 tale of a woman determined to shake the yoke of convention.”
From the “Good Odds” column, Time Out New York, September 26-October 2, 2013.
Of Interest to Producers, Directors and Actors
Mr. Bengt’s Wife will be of great interest to general theatre audiences, college theatre departments, and all professional and academic acting schools and workshops that are looking for new and exciting scene and monologue material. Scholars of Western Theatre, Scandinavian Studies, Women’s and Feminist Studies and Strindberg scholars will want to read, study and teach this play in academic courses.
Directors, producers and actors will see the value of adding this exciting play to a production season. This powerful “new” drama, written in 1882 was Strindberg’s rebuttal to his rival, Henrik Ibsen and his play, A Doll’s House. Mr Bengt’s Wife examines a different slant on the 19th century “new woman” and the growing feminist movement.
Mr Bengt’s Wife was produced in NYC with 6 actors (3m, 3f) with 2 women doubling roles. Other productions can create more flexible casting, (up to 9 actors) utilizing another male and two more females. The play has numerous strong male/female duet scenes and several strong monologues that could be marketable to theatre schools, workshops, and college theatre departments. The script can be produced with a “young” cast (20s with 1 female character role) which could also be an asset in its marketing.
Production History and information for Mr. Bengt’s Wife
An informal reading of the play was presented at the Westside YMCA in New York City in 2009.
A staged reading was produced at the Railroad Playhouse, Newburgh, NY, August 27, 2011. It played to a full house despite the approach of Hurricane Irene later that afternoon.
The fully produced production of Mr. Bengt’s Wife premiered at the August Strindberg Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street, New York City on September 15, 2013. It played through September 29 to full houses.
The NYC Production: Mr. Bengt’s Wife by August Strindberg
Robert Greer, Artistic Director, The August Strindberg Repertory Theatre, the resident company at the Gene Frankle Theatre.
Gail Thacker, Managing Director
Malin Tybåhl and Laurence Carr, Translators
Craig Baldwin, Director
Cast:
Samm Todd: Meta, Kerstin, and The Witness
Kerstie Brian*: Margit
Vicki Blankenship: The Abbess and The Chief Judge’s Wife
Matt Hurley*: The Confessor
Eric Percival: Mr. Bengt
Shawn Fagan*: The Bailiff
Karimah and Michael Petre-Zumbrun, stage managers
Angelina Margolis, set design
Aryeh Lapin, costume design
Kate DaRocha, costume assistant
Lance Harkins, technical director
Akiko Ichinohe and Sean Levine, house managers
Donna Miskend, graphic artist
Mary-Ann Tu, web mistress
Jonathan Slaff, press representative
* actors appearing through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
Mr. Bengt’s Wife premiered at the August Strindberg Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street, New York City on September 15, 2013. It was produced in New York City by Robert Greer with the cooperation of Theatre Resources Unlimited.
Words of Praise for Mr. Bengt’s Wife
“A Strindberg Rarity—Mr. Bengt’s Wife--An Answer to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House”
“Mr. Bengt’s Wife, in its American premiere (translated by Malin Tybåhl and Laurence Carr) treated me to an insightful view of a master in his early development. A no-holes-barred tale of hysteria, gender expectations and personal redemption, it is a mirror opposite of the mature and organized Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. The play is still ground-breaking, one of the true classics of progressive theatre.
Mr. Bengt’s Wife is a delirious collection of scenes boasting a lyricism approaching madness, with a heightened Shakespearian influence running through its modern language. Bengt is a transitional piece, like one of a great composer finding his voice. And it is a glorious voice he is crafting.
The work is deeply emotional—ultimately leading toward a human conclusion. It has a stylized, episodic element to it, almost dream-like. Directed by Craig Baldwin, the piece was allowed to breathe, but always moved forward in its action. Kersti Bryan, well suited to the demanding role of Margit, never missed a beat, transforming herself from the high-flying, overly optimistic girl to the bitter and unforgiving wife and then back again, prompting us to ask if she is dangerously unstable or merely a multifaceted woman.
Melody Breyer-Grell, The Huffington Post, 9/19/13The full review is available at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melody-breyergrell/strindberg-rarity
or by searching in Huffington Post Entertainment and entering Mr. Bengt’s Wife Review.
“The August Strindberg Repertory Theatre digs deep into the Swedish misanthrope’s trunk of obscurities to unearth this 1882 tale of a woman determined to shake the yoke of convention.”
From the “Good Odds” column, Time Out New York, September 26-October 2, 2013.
Of Interest to Producers, Directors and Actors
Mr. Bengt’s Wife will be of great interest to general theatre audiences, college theatre departments, and all professional and academic acting schools and workshops that are looking for new and exciting scene and monologue material. Scholars of Western Theatre, Scandinavian Studies, Women’s and Feminist Studies and Strindberg scholars will want to read, study and teach this play in academic courses.
Directors, producers and actors will see the value of adding this exciting play to a production season. This powerful “new” drama, written in 1882 was Strindberg’s rebuttal to his rival, Henrik Ibsen and his play, A Doll’s House. Mr Bengt’s Wife examines a different slant on the 19th century “new woman” and the growing feminist movement.
Mr Bengt’s Wife was produced in NYC with 6 actors (3m, 3f) with 2 women doubling roles. Other productions can create more flexible casting, (up to 9 actors) utilizing another male and two more females. The play has numerous strong male/female duet scenes and several strong monologues that could be marketable to theatre schools, workshops, and college theatre departments. The script can be produced with a “young” cast (20s with 1 female character role) which could also be an asset in its marketing.
Production History and information for Mr. Bengt’s Wife
An informal reading of the play was presented at the Westside YMCA in New York City in 2009.
A staged reading was produced at the Railroad Playhouse, Newburgh, NY, August 27, 2011. It played to a full house despite the approach of Hurricane Irene later that afternoon.
The fully produced production of Mr. Bengt’s Wife premiered at the August Strindberg Repertory Theatre, in residence at the Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street, New York City on September 15, 2013. It played through September 29 to full houses.
The NYC Production: Mr. Bengt’s Wife by August Strindberg
Robert Greer, Artistic Director, The August Strindberg Repertory Theatre, the resident company at the Gene Frankle Theatre.
Gail Thacker, Managing Director
Malin Tybåhl and Laurence Carr, Translators
Craig Baldwin, Director
Cast:
Samm Todd: Meta, Kerstin, and The Witness
Kerstie Brian*: Margit
Vicki Blankenship: The Abbess and The Chief Judge’s Wife
Matt Hurley*: The Confessor
Eric Percival: Mr. Bengt
Shawn Fagan*: The Bailiff
Karimah and Michael Petre-Zumbrun, stage managers
Angelina Margolis, set design
Aryeh Lapin, costume design
Kate DaRocha, costume assistant
Lance Harkins, technical director
Akiko Ichinohe and Sean Levine, house managers
Donna Miskend, graphic artist
Mary-Ann Tu, web mistress
Jonathan Slaff, press representative
* actors appearing through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association