an enemy of the people

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opening

this performance marks a beginning.

an enemy of the people is presented here in an intimate setting,
across twelve performances,
as the first public life of this production.

our focus is on clarity.
on listening.
on allowing a classic work to unfold without force.

we believe the most urgent plays of our time
were written hundreds of years ago,
and that our task is not to reinvent them,
but to stage them with care, precision, and trust.

these performances are an opening gesture —
an invitation into the work,
and into what may continue beyond this room.

thank you for being here at the start.

duse productions

duse productions is a new york–based theatre company
dedicated to the clear and truthful staging of classical works.

our practice begins with listening —
to the text, to the actors, and to the room itself.

we observe reality and heighten it just enough
to reveal what is already present.

we value process as much as product,
and presence as much as polish.

this work is built through trust,
rigor, and shared attention.

our lineage

our work is guided by artists who believed
that theatre does not need excess to be powerful,
nor volume to be heard —
and whose ideas actively shape how this production is made.

eleonora duse sought truth through restraint,
natural presence, and deep humanity.
from her work, we take a commitment to acting
that is lived rather than performed —
where the actor does not play for the audience,
but allows the audience to witness something real.

this commitment is why we chose to name the company in her honor,
as an acknowledgment of her lasting contribution
to theatre and to humanity.

yevgeny vakhtangov embraced theatricality
without abandoning sincerity,
allowing imagination and realism to coexist —
what he called fantastical reality.
from this lineage, we permit play, scale, and contradiction,
while remaining grounded in truthful behavior.

henrik ibsen wrote plays that refuse instruction.
he presented systems under pressure
and trusted the audience to listen, question, and decide.
in this production, the text is offered without excess guidance,
placing responsibility for meaning not on the page,
but in the encounter between actor and audience.

we return to this lineage not to imitate it,
but to apply it —
here, now, and in this room.

a note

this production is offered as an intimate showcase
and the first step in a longer life for the play.

it is shared here in close proximity,
as a work still unfolding,
shaped by the presence of those in the room.

we are grateful for your attention,
and for the time you bring with you tonight.

about the play

an enemy of the people centers on a community built around a shared success — and the cost of preserving that success when the truth threatens it.

dr. tomas stockmann discovers that the water supplying the town’s public baths is contaminated. what begins as a scientific finding quickly becomes a social crisis. as economic interests, political power, public opinion, and personal relationships collide, the question shifts from what is true to what can be tolerated.

ibsen does not offer heroes or villains. he presents people under pressure — each acting from fear, loyalty, ambition, or conviction. the play asks how truth functions inside a community, and what it costs to stand alone when the majority decides otherwise.

the characters

(listed in the order they enter the world of the play)

katrine stockmann
dr. stockmann’s spouse. attentive, grounded, and deeply human, katrine navigates the tension between private life and public consequence, holding the family together as pressure mounts.

billing
a young journalist and lodger in the stockmann household. energetic, idealistic, and eager to belong, billing is drawn to big ideas but still learning the cost of standing by them.

the mayor (peter stockmann)
dr. stockmann’s brother and the town’s chief authority. practical and strategic, he prioritizes stability, reputation, and control — especially when truth threatens order.

hovstad
editor of the local newspaper. initially receptive to dr. stockmann’s discovery, hovstad becomes increasingly shaped by public opinion and political risk.

dr. tomas stockmann
a physician driven by conviction and faith in reason. his discovery of contamination sets the play in motion, placing him in conflict with the systems he believes should protect the public.

captain horster
a sea captain and ally to dr. stockmann. independent and quietly principled, he represents moral clarity unburdened by social ambition.

the boys (ejlif and morten)
the stockmann children. their presence reminds us what is at stake beyond politics and debate — the future shaped by the choices of adults.

petra stockmann
tomas and katrine’s daughter. independent, clear-eyed, and unafraid to question authority, petra reflects a younger generation testing inherited values.

morten kiil
katrine’s foster father. a businessman with a direct stake in the contamination, he embodies self-interest, calculation, and survival within a compromised system.

aslaksen
printer, property owner, and civic voice of “moderation.” aslaksen values consensus, caution, and the authority of the majority, even when compromise obscures truth.

the townspeople
neighbors, voters, and voices of the majority — collectively shaping the social climate in which the truth must survive or fail.

the artists behind the work

eleonora duse (1858–1924)

actor, innovator, human being

eleonora duse was one of the most influential actors in theatre history and a quiet revolutionary of performance. at a time when theatrical acting favored projection, gesture, and display, duse pursued restraint, interior life, and truth. she believed acting should be lived rather than demonstrated, and that the audience should be invited to witness something real rather than be persuaded. 

duse rejected makeup, exaggeration, and theatrical artifice in favor of presence and humanity. her work shifted the center of acting away from technique alone and toward inner necessity. the company bears her name in recognition of her insistence that theatre, at its best, is an act of honesty.

fun fact: duse famously refused to be photographed in costume and often performed without makeup, believing it interfered with truth.

yevgeny vakhtangov (1883–1922)

director, teacher, bridge between worlds

yevgeny vakhtangov was a russian director and teacher whose work bridged realism and imagination. a student of stanislavski, vakhtangov believed that truthful behavior and theatrical play could coexist. he called this balance “fantastical realism” — a style in which heightened theatricality remains grounded in sincerity.

vakhtangov encouraged actors to embrace contradiction: seriousness alongside humor, discipline alongside freedom, realism alongside invention. his work reminds us that theatre can be bold without becoming artificial, and playful without losing truth.

this production draws from vakhtangov’s permission to imagine — to allow scale, rhythm, and theatricality to emerge from truthful behavior rather than imposed effect.

fun fact: vakhtangov died at just 39 years old, yet his ideas continue to influence actor training and directing worldwide.

henrik ibsen (1828–1906)

Playwright of Systems, Not Answers

henrik ibsen is often called the father of modern drama, though his work resists easy categorization. rather than instructing audiences what to think, ibsen constructed social systems under pressure and allowed their contradictions to speak for themselves. his plays are less about heroes and villains than about people navigating power, loyalty, fear, and responsibility. 

an enemy of the people was first written in 1882. this production works from ibsen’s 1897 norwegian second edition — the final version approved by the playwright before his death. the text is presented in full, not to preserve tradition, but to trust its endurance.

ibsen believed the audience was capable of thought. we share that belief.

fun fact: ibsen lived much of his life outside norway and wrote many of his most “norwegian” plays while in self-imposed exile.

meet the company

Principal roles are shared between two casts on designated dates.

mikey mor

aslaksen

mikey is an nyc actress. born and raised in israel, mikey is a graduate of nissan nativ university of performing arts and new york film academy graduate. an enemy of the people marks her professional theater nyc debut. she has appeared in several independent short films in nyc, miami and israel. follow her journey on ig at @mikeymor_

lena sabeth

aslaksen

lena was born in new york and raised in switzerland, where she studied law and grew up performing on stage as a violinist. she later returned to new york city to attend the new york film academy, graduating in 2024. she has appeared in several independent short films in both english and german, and an enemy of the people marks her professional theatre debut.

chiara aiello

billing

chiara is a manhattan based actress and playwright. she made her new york debut in the devil you know at the secret theatre. other credits include woman/sarah in love/sick, soloist in sing happy!, and #14 in the wolves. her original play, mountain men, received its world premiere at muhlenberg college in 2024. chiaiello.com

nina becker

billing

nina becker is an actress based in nyc. born and raised in germany, she moved to nyc in 2023 and graduated from the new york conservatory for dramatic arts in 2025. nina speaks english, german and spanish.

autumn maynard

captain horster

autumn maynard is an actress and playwright born and raised in queens, ny. she is a graduate of nyu’s tisch school of the arts, where she studied at the playwright’s horizons theatre school studio and received her bfa in drama. she also graduated from the two year conservatory program at the american academy of dramatic arts where she received an aos in drama. she is excited to take on the role of captain horster in the play an enemy of the people at the american theatre of actors. you can also see autumn perform in the role of brianna in the play kids in a backyard living inside the mind of kanye west at arts on site nyc. she was recently seen as brandy anderson in blinded by faith (nominated for best actress at the new york theatre festival), ashanti in journey through africa at black spectrum theatre company, #11 in the wolves at stella adler studios, ade from the land we share at the chain theatre festival, and emily rose from jamaican talk show host at comedy in harlem. some of her other credits to look out for include film: compassion fatigue (lead), room to stand (lead), caught in between (lead), lottie baby: (supporting). website: autumnmaynard.com, ig: _autumnmaynard

jean gordon

captain horster

jean is an enthusiastic theatremaker born and raised in connecticut, now based in new york city and st. louis. favorite recent credits include the last piece (classic stage company), dead air (connelly theatre), if i cleaned everything (gene frankel theatre), and the drowning girls (asds rep). when she is not telling stories on a stage, jean can be found crafting a delicious meal for friends and family in the kitchen! jean also co-founded mindmeld productions, a new theatre company she started with two of her collaborators. she is very thankful for her teachers, mentors, friends, family, and parents' continued support. ba from mmc and mfa from asds. follow her on instagram @jean.gordon.

abigail chandler martineck

hovstad

abby is so excited to be making her new york debut! training: the american academy of dramatic arts. thank you to my parents, livia, & olivia for letting me leave north dakota (too cold there don'tchya know!) buckle up...you guys are not ready for this one!

lydia winter

hovstad

lydia was born in providence, ri and began acting at trinity repertory company’s young actors’ summer institute. in 2019, she competed in the english-speaking union’s national shakespeare monologue competition and placed in the top ten nationwide. she made her professional stage debut in the world premier of a new musical (goodnight sweetheart goodnight) at the wilbury theatre group. most recently she appeared as sonya in annie baker's adaptation of uncle vanya at the new england studio theatre. previously, she attended a semester abroad at the royal academy of dramatic art specializing in shakespeare in performance. she recently graduated from boston university’s school of theatre with a bfa in acting.

kaitlyn lebaron*

katrine

kaitlyn is a nyc based actress and singer. she has been featured in concerts at carnegie hall, jazz at lincoln center, radio city music hall, and other notable performance venues around the country. recent credits include; leila in iolanthe (carnegie hall), the sweet smell of success, sondheim’s the frogs (jazz at lincoln center), miss casewell in the mousetrap, countess andrenyi in murder on the orient express. she holds a bachelor’s degree in musical theatre from weber state university in her hometown of ogden, utah. ‘love to my husband juston and our exciting future!’ *appearing courtesy of actors’ equity association

alexandra van zant

katrine

gillian brown

kiil

laine valentino*

morten kiil

laine valentino is an actor and producer. acting credits include appearances on law & order and caroline’s comedy hour; films such as backfire! and the outfit; and stage work including sally’s shorts by sally nemeth, the time of your life by william saroyan, and crackwalker by judith thompson. producing highlights include the award-winning documentary the only real game, and off-broadway productions of the director and bobbi boland, both by nancy hasty. as co-founder and artistic director of one dream theater in nyc, she had a front-row seat to some remarkable actors and playwrights at the very start of their careers. laine has also told stories as a camerawoman for ny1 and an independent content creator and videographer. *appearing courtesy of actors’ equity association

samantha carlucci

petra

samantha carlucci is an actress born in san francisco and currently based in new york city. she studied at new york university, where she earned a bfa with honors. drawn to intimate, character-driven storytelling, their work is shaped by a deep curiosity about human behavior and emotional truth. grounded in rigorous training and inspired by the cities that raised them, they continue to pursue work across stage and screen in new york.

brooke hall

petra

brooke hall is a nyc-based actor originally from boca raton, fl. she is an alumna of the university of miami with her bfa in musical theatre, as well as national theater institute’s theatermakers. favorite theatre and film credits include: helena in a midsummer night’s dream (florida shakespeare theater), simone in money heist: the experience (netflix/fever), grace in soft. driven. mad (independent thriller short), and joan in solitary guitarist, 1865 (pbs film-maker tv series selection). when not on stage or in front of the camera, brooke can be found playing a chopin waltz on the piano or singing with her band live coverage. a storyteller with boundless imagination, brooke hopes her artistry will inspire change and growth! follow her journey at @brookerebeccahall on instagram or brookerebeccahall.com

maribelle flint

the mayor

maribelle flint (she/her) recently received her mfa in acting from brooklyn college. she enjoys telling stories about the strange, flawed, queer, and hopeful. theater credits include three sisters, dance nation, and arsenic and old lace (brooklyn college), squishy emotional insides (the tank), trans scripts, part i: the women (fitchburg state university), 12 angry jurors (4th wall stage company). film credits include balls of tin and woke.

cora riechert

the mayor

cora riechert is a graduate of the neighborhood playhouse school of the theatre in new york city. her stage credits include lady diana in 'a rose from england', martha in 'book of days', helena in a crossover production of 'a midsummer night’s dream' and 'the rocky horror picture show', gwendolyn in 'the importance of being earnest', and several nontraditional roles. raised in the washington d.c. area, cora has also lived in germany and taiwan and has been a new yorker for the past four years. in addition to acting, she plays the piano and flute and creates her own films. cora is thrilled to play the wily mayor.

sanio kurtesevic*

dr. stockmann

sanio kurtesevic is a new york–based actor and producer, aea-affiliated, with nearly a decade of experience in film and theatre. born and raised in bosnia and herzegovina, he brings a deep respect for language, ensemble, and classical storytelling to his work. sanio has studied the lee strasberg method since 2018 under the guidance of david gideon in new york city. his recent stage credits include black sheep at theater for the new city (ny) and the trojan women at jersey city theatre center. recent work includes producing and performing in an enemy of the people with duse productions, the company he founded to create clear, truthful productions of classic plays that speak directly to the present moment. *appearing courtesy of actors’ equity association

shannon trageser

dramaturg / casting

shannon trageser is a practicing dramaturg in new york city specializing in the historical literary analysis of nineteenth through twentieth century theatre. since graduating from the new school in 2023, shannon has developed a love for dramaturgy after working closely with directors on productions such as the moors (2023), taming of the shrew (2023), and blithe spirit (2024). she is more than thrilled to show you what the cast and crew have done with this era to reinvent it for a new audience. shannon would like to thank duse productions and sanio kurtesevic for the opportunity to help bring enemy of the people to life on stage. she wishes many congratulations to the cast and crew!

jaden grubb

stage manager

jaden is excited to be part of an enemy of the people. jaden has a background in visual design, branding, and marketing communications, with a strong appreciation for collaboration and storytelling in live performance. as stage manager, jaden is passionate about keeping the production organized, running smoothly, and supporting both the cast and creative team throughout the rehearsal and performance process. this production has been a rewarding opportunity to help bring an important and timely story to life on stage.

timothy gage

movement director

timothy gage is a new york city based director/choreographer and movement practitioner. off broadway: smile (associate). tour: a christmas carol, ellis island: gateway to a dream. regional: tuck everlasting, godspell, don’t dress for dinner (associate). he is a proud associate member of sdc. www.timothygage.com

sanio kurtesevic

producer/director / casting

Photos

multimedia

New Staging of Ibsen's AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE is Coming to the American Theatre of Actors

Duse Productions will present a new staging of Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, launching as an Equity Showcase on January 28 at the American Theatre of Actors. While the initial engagement runs through February 8, the production is structured to continue beyond the showcase, with plans for future expansion.

This staging takes an unconventional approach to Ibsen's text by stripping the script of punctuation, capitalization, and most stage directions. With the exception of essential entrances, exits, and story-critical actions, the text is presented as a continuous flow of language, placing responsibility for interpretation directly in the hands of the actors.

Rather than dictating rhythm, emotion, or meaning on the page, the production invites performers to discover those elements through rehearsal, listening, and collective investigation. The approach treats the text not as a set of instructions, but as living material - one that must be actively inhabited rather than executed.

The script is presented in full, using a new English translation created specifically for this production and drawn directly from Ibsen's 1897 Norwegian second edition, the final version approved by the playwright himself. The goal is fidelity without rigidity: honoring the original language while removing layers of accumulated interpretation.

The production's aesthetic draws inspiration from Yevgeny Vakhtangov's concept of "fantastical realism," in which heightened theatricality and truthful behavior coexist, alongside the natural, disciplined acting associated with Eleonora Duse. Minimalist staging supports this balance, allowing imagination and presence to do the work that spectacle often replaces.

At the center of An Enemy of the People is environmental contamination and moral responsibility. Dr. Tomas Stockmann discovers that the town's celebrated public baths are poisoned, only to find that truth becomes dangerous when it threatens economic comfort and social order. The production's close-up staging places audiences in direct proximity to these conflicts, emphasizing listening over volume and attention over force.By removing formal constraints from the text and trusting actors to transform it collaboratively, this staging aims to create an experience that feels immediate, intimate, and alive - a classical play encountered not as a museum piece, but as a shared act of discovery.

donors

closing

thank you for being here tonight.

this performance is part of an opening —
the first public life of this work —
and it exists because of the care, trust, and generosity
of many people.

we are deeply grateful to our cast and creative team
for their rigor, patience, and commitment to the process.
to our collaborators and supporters
for believing in the work at its beginning.

this production is performed by two alternating casts.
each performance is shaped by a different group of artists,
and depending on the day you attend,
you will experience the play through a distinct interpretation.

and to our audience —
thank you for sharing your attention,
your time,
and the room.

this play continues beyond tonight.
we look forward to what comes next.

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