Philippine E-Journals

When Ibsen Meets Chekhov: Postscript to the International Ibsen Stage Festival

Carlito P. Casaje

 

Abstract:

The Ibsen Stage International Festival celebrated the meeting
of Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) and Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
through their dramatic works and through the characters in their
plays. The theme was their views on theatre, theatre writing,
recurring themes, and possible similarities in their writing styles.
Held at the NationalTeater (National Theatre) in the heart of
Oslo, Norway, this bi-annual Festival serves as a tribute to the
genius of Henrik Isben, Norway’s foremost literary icon, and world
literature’s father of modern drama. The more famous and
frequently produced of his 26 plays, at least in the Philippines, are
A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler, and An Enemy of the People. My
theatre group, Dramatis Personae, has staged A Doll’s House,
Ghosts, Rosmersholm, Peer Gynt and Brand, all under the
sponsorship of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila.