An Enemy of the People at Theater J

An Enemy of the People

Theater J
1529 Sixteenth Street, NW Washington

Drama Desk Award winner for Outstanding Adaptation and recent Broadway sensation, Amy Herzog's work unearths the relevance of Ibsen's tale for our time, weighing the cost of standing up to power when pressured into silence. Ibsen's tale highlights the reverberating power of citizens who go against the status quo to do what's right by their community. The story raises powerful questions around the importance of keeping society healthy over economic gain, integrity within influence, and the personal cost of speaking up.

Thru - Nov 23, 2025

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 202-777-3210

www.edcjcc.org/theater-j/

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An Enemy of the People Reviews

Average Rating based on 5 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Recommended

"...Directed by Janos Szasz, the new production uses playwright Amy Herzog's streamlined, contemporary update of the script, first seen on Broadway in 2024 starring Jeremy Strong. Like Arthur Miller before her, Herzog Americanizes Ibsen's play, making it more palatable to contemporary audiences, excising some of the troublesome eccentricities of Ibsen, and smoothing over the deeply problematic Act IV, in which the good-natured, philanthropically minded Dr. Stockmann reveals himself as a megalomaniacal elitist who has been reading too much Nietzsche."

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- Philip Kennicott

DC Theater Arts - Recommended

"...Though Ibsen leaves little room for doubt that Thomas's findings are true, the real world is not always so clear. A certain reading of An Enemy of the People could inadvertently embolden those whose notion of truth is warped to be more strident in their views, a spirit that has perhaps led to the polarization we live with today. But a more generous reading is what we would all do well to walk away with: a recalibration of our moral compass, a reaffirmation of the responsibility we have to others in our communities, and a reminder that truth can begin with us, but it must not end with us."

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- D.R. Lewis

Washington City Paper - Recommended

"...An Enemy of the People focuses on Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Joey Collins), a scientist who believes the water in his resort town is contaminated. When the results of his testing arrive in the mail, he is caught between the responsibility to reveal the truth and the refusal of his neighbors to tank the town’s economy or even believe that the water is tainted."

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- Stephanie Rudig

MD Theatre Guide - Recommended

"...This play doesn't hinge on some grand finale or unexpected twist. What we get is a play about deeply philosophical issues with all-too human costs. Herzog's script, while fairly loyal to Ibsen's original, does offer some modern-day departures. One might argue, the play is made more manageable and certainly more of-the-moment. In Szasz's hands, Ibsen's work becomes something deeply complex and, theatrically speaking, alienating. Szasz's direction imagines this quaint little spa town as something quite different than what you might expect. Some of it works very well, and some of it seems experimentally peculiar."

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- Anne Valentino

BroadwayWorld - Somewhat Recommended

"...The audience grogs their groggers, as should be expected, at the mayor or Aslaksen or Hovstad whenever they attempt to silence the doctor - but this just spins the scene into utter chaos. Thomas has no support, that's the point. The townspeople are aligned against him, that's the point."

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- Itai Yasur

An Enemy of the People at Theater J