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| Conrad Bain, James Blendick, Stephen Elliott, David Birney, Philip Bosco. |
AN
ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE [Dramatic Revival] A: Henrik Ibsen; AD:
Arthur Miller; D: Jules Irving; S: Douglas W. Schmidt; C: Carrie F. Robbins; L:
John Gleason; P: Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center; T: Vivian Beaumont
Theatre; 3/11/71-4/25/72 (54)
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| Don Plumley, Stephen Elliott, Barbara Cason, James Blendick, David Birney, Tandy Cronin. |
Arthur Miller’s 1950 version of Ibsen’s 1882 play, in
which the theme of majority rule opposed by minority beliefs is central,
received mixed reactions in this Lincoln Center revival. Apart from Walter Kerr’s
pan, Stephen Elliott drew strong praise for his portrayal of Dr. Stockman. He,
of course, is the noble scientist who wishes to make public his discovery that
the town’s popular health baths are polluted, thereby creating a public uproar when
the townspeople, seeing their livelihoods affected, turn against him.
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| Stephen Elliott, Philip Bosco. |
In Jack Kroll’s opinion, Miller’s adaptation scaled “down
Ibsen’s complex and disturbing power to liberal moralizing.” Others, like
Brendan Gill, censured the “ugly” use of language and the dated 1950ish slang
that made the work seem more outmoded in 1971 than William Archer’s Victorian
translation. The play seemed “silly” to Kerr, particularly in what he deemed a
poor production. And Martin Gottfried claimed the fairly regularly revived play,
which (as always) some believed pertinent to contemporary political and
ecological concerns, had no true “lasting value” and was too “message”
oriented. He scored the acting and direction, as well as the general drabness
that made it seem “an economy production all around.”
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| Barbara Cason, Stephen Elliott, Tandy Cronin, and company. |
Among the several favorable notices was that of Harold
Clurman, who called it “sound and immensely effective.” The cast included such
well-known names as Sydney Walker, David Birney, Philip Bosco, Tandy Cronin,
and Conrad Bain.
