Vandegrift Theatre Company under the direction of Jeff Davis produced two mainstage plays in tandem with each other, the classic drama “A Doll’s House” and the new comedy “A Doll’s House, Part 2”.

Written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, “A Doll’s House” is a timeless drama which revolutionized theatre when it premiered in 1879. The setting is Christmas time, and housewife and mother, Nora Helmer, works hard to maintain the illusion of domestic bliss and happiness for her husband, Torvald. But when her husband’s rival threatens to expose a dark secret from Nora’s past, her world, psyche, and marriage begin to crumble.

Lucas Hnath’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2” takes place fifteen years after the events of “A Doll’s House” and the “door slam heard round the world.” There’s a knock at the door of the Helmer household. Nora has returned, and it is she who is knocking. But why is she back? And what does her return mean for those she left behind? Just as “A Doll’s House” examined the ideas of marriage and gender politics 144 years ago, Lucas Hnath’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2” does the same with a sharp, witty, modern, and hilarious approach.

“A Doll’s House” and “A Doll’s House, Part 2” was performed on January 24 – 28 at VHS.