TFANA Opens Rare Revival of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck in Brooklyn

The rare Ibsen revival uses David Eldridge’s two-act version under Simon Godwin, drawing praise for its craft with debate over a key casting choice.

Overview

Theatre for a New Audience’s co-production of The Wild Duck opened September 14 at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center for a limited run through September 28 before a Washington, D.C., engagement in October.
The staging uses David Eldridge’s 2005 two-act version and is directed by Simon Godwin.
Alexander Hurt (Gregers), Nick Westrate (Hjalmar), Melanie Field (Gina), Maaike Laanstra-Corn (Hedvig), David Patrick Kelly, Robert Stanton, Matthew Saldívar and Mahira Kakkar lead the cast.
Early reviews commend Godwin’s direction, Andrew Boyce’s set and the ensemble, while noting disagreement over Hurt’s portrayal of Gregers.
Critics underscore the play’s rarity in repertory and its focus on Ibsen’s ideas about comforting illusions and “chronic righteousness,” with some reports flagging artificial sound effects in previews.