cover photo Michael Brosilow
from Richard Nelson’s Introduction:
THE WILD DUCK is a play about family life twisted, bent, and
knotted into perverse shapes. Everyone seems to have a lifetime’s history with
everyone else. Take just one character, Gregers Werle.
There’s his father with whom he has been estranged for many years,
certainly since the death of his mother. There is Gina who as a maid helped look
after the Werle house while Gregers’ mother was dying; his mother accused Gina
of have having an affair with Gregers’ father. This we learn was untrue at the
time, but prescient. Gina is now married to Hialmar Ekdal, Gregers’ old friend
from college. They have a daughter, Hedvig, who is most likely not Hialmar’s but
Gregers’ father’s and so is the half sister of Gregers. Hilmar’s father was in
business with Gregers’ father. There was a business scandal and Hialmar’s father
went to prison, Gregers’ father didn’t. Gregers’ father continues to dole out
bits of money to both his old partner and his old mistress. There’s Relling a
drunken doctor who had fought with Gregers years before while they were both at
the distant saw mill. And there’s Mrs Sorby, who like Gina, used to be Gregers’
father’s housekeeper, but now is his mistress; she once was in love with Relling
and may still be. And it goes on and on. This play is structured around learning
these relationships and the various secrets attached to them, and thematically
propelled by the question: is it better to know or not to know?
“Truth” is stood on its head, as we find ourselves rooting for lies
and delusions. This is a very disorienting play. And, I believe, a very great
one.
originally produced by The Court Theater, Chicago
8 M 3 F
I S B N 978-0-88145-450-5
$14.95