Kennedy Center to Present HEDDA GABLER as Part of Nordic Cool 2013

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler by Norway's National Theatre. Directed by Peer Perez Øian and adapted by Ole Johan Skjelbred, Hedda Gabler runs February 26-27 in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater as part of Nordic Cool 2013. Press opening night is February 26, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. The production is performed in Norwegian with English supertitles.

Accustomed to the luxurious life of a wealthy general's daughter, Hedda finds herself increasingly discontent as the wife of an aspiring, middle-class scholar. When the return of a past lover threatens to reveal her true desires, and simultaneously stifle her husband's career, Hedda must find a way to salvage her spiraling emotions and diminishing social status-at any cost.

Norway's National Theatre has long been associated with the late Norwegian playwright's boundary-pushing work. Originally created for The National Theatre's 2010 Ibsen Festival, director Peer Perez Øian's production challenges our classic understanding of Ibsen's famously tormented heroine, while questioning motivation, freedom, and choice in today's society.
The National Theatre is Norway's largest theater. Steeped in tradition and pushing the boundaries, it aims to be recognized as one of the leading theaters in Europe. The National Theatre is in the center of the Norwegian capital of Oslo - between the Royal Palace and the Storting (the Norwegian parliament) - in a building dating back to the turn of the previous century. Since it opened its doors in 1899, The National Theatre has become home to the dramatic arts in Norway and the use of the Norwegian language on stage. The desire to establish a theater for Norwegian dramatists and stage artists was part of the country's national development and separation from Sweden around the beginning of the last century-a process that culminated in the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905. A statue of Henrik Ibsen is located in front of the main entrance, as The National Theatre has been key in staging Ibsen in Norway.

Explore the Arts: On February 26, join a free post-performance discussion with a moderator and members of the company.

TICKET INFORMATION
Hedda Gabler runs in the Eisenhower Theater evenings at 7:30 p.m. on February 26 and 27. Tickets are $49 and up and available for purchase online, at the Kennedy Center box office, or by calling Instant Charge at (202) 467-4600. Patr