Synopsis

There's trouble in the water and only Dr. Tammie Stockman can sound the alarm. Set in a mid-sized, Rust-Belt city during the Trump era, this adaptation of An Enemy of the People delves into questions that were as pertinent for Ibsen as they are today. What inspires people to action? Can scientific discovery mobilize outcomes when economic opportunities are at stake, and fear is pervasive? Will Tammie sacrifice everything, her job, her friends, her family--for the truth? Or is she just the enemy of the people? ​

This production will be performed without an intermission. 

Creative Team

Director: Lana Sugarman 
Adaptive Playwright: Les Hunter
Creative Consultants: Christine McBurney & Cathleen O'Malley
Scenic Designer: Travis Williams
Lighting Designer: James Kyle Davis
Costume Designer: Irene Mack-Shafer
Sound Designer: Hazen Tobar
Projections Designer: Brian C. Seckfort
Intimacy Director: Julia Fisher
Stage Manager: Patrick Lee Johnson*

Director's Note

It has been a joy bringing Les Hunter’s Rust Belt adaptation of this classic play to life. An Enemy of the People was originally written in 1882, while our version is set in modern day Trump-era. While the play examines the environmental impacts of fracking, our relationship and access to clean water, and the struggle many local economies are facing, what stood out to me is how these issues show up in and affect a family. In recent years many of us have been to holiday dinners or family gatherings where it’s ‘best to avoid’ certain topics of conversation. For some, sitting on opposite sides of party lines or vaccination mandates has led to the straining (or ending) of many relationships. The divisiveness in America is glaring and many of us are clinging to our version of the truth. As Tammie asks: “What is the human cost?” My hope is that this story will spark conversation and that by braving these difficult conversations with curiosity and kindness, we may walk away more connected.

CAST

*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, Rubber City Theatre, and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
**Actors' Equity Membership Candidate.
† - Student from The University of Akron's BA in Theatre program.
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Actors' Equity Association (“Equity"), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors' Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks