IBSEN WOMEN explores six of the female characters of Henrik Ibsen. During one hour we follow Juni Dahr’s encounter with Hilde, Hedda, Mrs. Alving, Nora, Ellida and Hjørdis. The texts of Henrik Ibsen are bound together through the actor´s own personal reflections and thoughts around the characters strenght and vulnerability and the underlying theme in the Ibsen dramas: the longing for freedom.
IBSEN WOMEN was conceived in the United States while Juni Dahr was touring with Joan of Arc. Being a Norwegian actress, she was often asked aboout Ibsen’s dramas. This inspired her to present the Norwegian master playwright through some of his female characters.
Through improvisations based on fragments of Ibsen’s text, «Ibsen Women» slowly evolved in an empty space with a minimum of props and decoration.
«Ibsen Women» was first presented at the International Ibsen symposium held at Yale University in April 1989.
«Put an eagle in a cage and it will bite the bars wether they are of iron or gold», says Hjørdis in The Vikings of Helgeland.
Juni says: «Playing Hjørdis, under the direction of John Barton from the Royal Shakespear Company, opened my mind to Ibsen’s challenging questions to freedom and life itself. Henrik Ibsen reveals a deep understandiing of women – but where did he get his knowledge from? Through his characters he makes us experience our own lives. Henrik Ibsen is the genius that tempts us to explore his women looking for the essence, the source and the spirit that makes these female characters so facinating even today.»
Forestillingen spilles på norsk.
PRESSEOMTALER
Annelise Vestergaard, 15.09.1991, Jyllands-Posten:
“Ibsens damer blev en dejlig gave (…) En en-kvinde-forestilling med udfoldelse af en kraft (…) med få rekvisitter, men mange virkemidler og en magisk udstråling gennemspillede Juni Dahr de krævende roller. ”
Holger Christensen, 15.09.1991, Århus Stiftstidende [Århus]:
“Juni Dahrs udstråling er fantastisk. Man slipper hende ikke med øjnene. Hendes skift fra karakter til karakter var sikre og medrivende.”
Skribent og dato ukjent, Aftenposten [Oslo]:
“Utvalget Juni Dahr har gjort av kvinneskikkelser, er godt, likeledes tekstutvalget […] Man imponeres av hennes kraft, pågangsmot og kunstneriske vilje, og hennes “Ibsen-kvinner” har en fin helhet.”
