Washington Post - Recommended
"... A movie screen periodically usurps part of a Norwegian living room in Scena Theatre’s “Hedda Gabler.” It happens at the rear of the room, behind the fashionably uncomfortable 1930s furniture, where white, gauzy curtains conceal a balcony. Before Act I starts, black-and-white footage of rural and maritime Scandinavia flickers across the curtains, turning them into a de facto screen; at intermission, the word “Intermission” spells itself out in a retro font. There’s a suggestion, in other words, that we’re watching a 1930s “Hedda Gabler” movie — and that’s a prudent hint for director Robert McNamara to drop, because his brisk and watchable, if not revelatory, production contains some acting so hyperbolic it seems movie-palace scale."
Washington City Paper - Not Recommended
"... Maybe it’s possible for patrons unfamiliar with Hedda Gabler to walk in the H Street Playhouse and be captivated enough by the show’s interlocking love triangles to come out thinking their $35 was well spent. But if you know and love Ibsen, this is a production to skip."
Washington Times - Recommended
"... Philosophy aside, however, Jorgensen’s malevolent yet comic take on Judge Brack is a real eye opener, infusing this play with a powerful pulse that drives the action relentlessly forward. Helen Hayes Award nomination, anyone?"
Washingtonian - Somewhat Recommended
"...A lack of nuance in general is the chief problem of Scena’s take on Hedda Gabler. As Hedda’s dim maid, Bertha, Mary Suib veers into unintentional comedy with her cluelessness. As the righteous Thea, Danielle Davy starts on a note of near hysteria and only gets more anxious and frenetic from there. The play’s final, climactic scene is stripped of its power with hand-wringing and wailing. Ibsen might have helped shape realism in theater, but many of Scena’s performers feel anything but natural inhabiting his roles."
BrightestYoungThings - Recommended
"... Issues with the supporting cast notwithstanding, Ibsen’s drama succeeds and fails through its characterization of Hedda. Frustratingly, McNamara and Waters offer few hints. When Hedda implores Eilert to find nobility through suicide, for example, it’s unclear whether her intentions are genuine or cruel. The program cover of Hedda Gabler asks us, “Feminist heroine?Victim of circumstance?Or manipulative villain?”"
Two Hours Traffic - Recommended
"... Scena's production, directed by Robert McNamara and which opened last weekend, uses a translation by Brian Friel to great effect. Audiences familiar with Hedda's story will no doubt examine her and her fellow characters in a new light, and newcomers will see why she has captivated imaginations for over 100 years. In the title role, Kerry Waters manages to walk the tightrope of conveying Hedda's inscrutability while leading the audience to see the utter inevitability of her actions. We can never understand how she could do such a thing... but of course that's what she needs to do, can't you see? It's a wonderfully nuanced performance- just watch her face as the other characters speak and you'll see that she's actually speaking volumes."
MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended
"...Drama comes alive in Scena Theatre’s production of Hedda Gabler, a non-stop emotional roller coaster laced with unrequited passion, strategic plotting and good old fashion jealousy and spite. This flavorful play by Henrik Ibsen – and adapted by Brian Friel – relies heavily on clever dialogue stuffed with innuendo, but when the characters are motivated into action, their choices are shocking and exhilarating to watch. Director Robert McNamara eagerly grabbed the reins of this loaded gun of a play and without a doubt, lead it into a heart pounding state of drama, anxiety and passion."
DCTheatreScene - Somewhat Recommended
If perhaps the ship’s not the sturdiest ever built, it does certainly stay afloat, and McNamara’s sense of rhythm paired with some smart, affecting sequences from the actors make for an enjoyable enough evening. Our heroine’s journey, in particular, is mercifully opaque.
