An Enemy of the People

About the Show

Originally written in 1882 by Henrik Ibsen, this stirring adaptation by Arthur Miller makes the Victorian-era tale easily accessible to contemporary audiences, with the script a fortuitous coming together of these two respected playwrights.

An Enemy of the People is the story of a man who will sacrifice all- his social standing, his reputation, his wealth and his own security and that of his family – in order for the truth to prevail. The lead character, Dr. Stockmann, exposes the pollution that is fouling the waters of the town spa, threatening the health of its guests. Instead of being thanked, he is taunted and denounced as a lunatic, an ‘enemy of the people’ by his fellow townsfolk, who want to sweep the problem under the rug and continue enjoying the spa’s economic bounty. Here, both the water and the townspeople are poisoned. Arthur Miller’s adaptation, written during the witch-hunts of the McCarthy Era, intensifies Ibsen’s principles.