A Doll's House

North Carolina A&T State University’s Theatre Arts Program presents A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen, directed and adapted by guest director Dr. Asabi Howard; it confronts female empowerment and male domination issues that have made this play a controversial theatre classic
since its premiere in 1879

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen premiered in 1879 in Norway at The Royal Danish Theatre. The play delves into the fate of a married woman, Nora Helmer, who, at the time, lacked opportunities for self-fulfillment in a male-dominated world. Despite Ibsen's denial of writing a feminist play, it sparked a significant sensation and caused a 'storm of outraged controversy' that transcended the theater to the world of newspapers and society, highlighting the pressing issues of gender roles and societal expectations.

Under the expert guidance of guest director Dr. Asabi Howard, who serves as the chairperson of the Department of Theatre and Dance at North Carolina Central University and is a graduate of the North Carolina A&T State University Theatre Arts Program, the play's themes and impact are dissected with academic rigor and insight. Dr. Asabi has reimagined Ibsen’s play as a story set in the 1960s, a time of racial unrest, as African American women challenged America to embrace justice and equality.

Although their efforts were an external fight, many internal battles for women’s personal freedom and liberation were going unheard, as was Nora’s existence within her household. After a series of disturbing incidents, Nora is utterly disillusioned with her husband, Torvald whom she now sees as a fraud. She realizes that she is just a doll who he treats as an irresponsible woman whose role is to flatter and serve him. Finally, when pushed up against the wall, Nora makes an extraordinary, shocking, and life-changing decision that has made this play a controversial theatre classic since its premiere in 1879.