The Strindberg Project

August Strindberg (1849 - 1912)

August Strindberg,50

One of Sweden's greatest writers and playwrights. He was contemporary with Henrik Ibsen, Hans Christian Andersen, Sören Kierkegaard and Knut Hamsun and equally influential on the literary scene.

He wrote poetry, fiction and plays and his work falls within the categories of naturalism and later on expressionism.

The novel that brought him to fame was The Red Room (1879). As a playwright he strived to be impartial and objective. He considered reality boring and mundane and wanted his plays to be open for interpretation and exploration during the theatrical process. One of his most known naturalistic plays is Miss Julie. Later he was considered to be one of the pioneers of the modern European Stage when he turned towards symbolism and expressionism. Ett drömspel (A Dream Play), Spöksonaten (A Ghost Sonata) and Dödsdansen (The Dance of Death) are a few famous plays from this era.

MR. BENGT'S WIFE / Herr Bengts hustru, 1882

Mr. Bengt’s Wife is the passionate story of Margit, an orphan and rebellious novice who breaks her convent vows to marry her “Knight”, Lord Bengt, a wealthy landowner. Her husband’s fortunes soon dwindle, and she seeks her freedom from her approaching poverty. As her marriage dissolves, she is hotly pursued by the convent priest and a childhood friend, who is now the Bailiff of the town. Her love/hate relationship with Bengt also continues, adding to Margit’s personal revolution with 19th century society’s view of women and the emerging feminist movement. Seeking to end her life, Margit finds herself a “new woman”, who will engage with men, women and society on her own terms. Mr. Bengt’s Wife is Strindberg’s rebuttal to Henrik Ibsen’s, A Doll’s House, interweaving scenes of realism and dreamscape into a powerful dramatic work from one of the masters of modernism.

On August 27 2011, Mr. Bengt's Wife had a staged reading for the public in Newburgh, New York.
It was produced by the Railroad Theater Company and directed by Seth Soloway.

Mr. Bengt's Wife had its English-Language premiere at the Gene Frankel Theater in NYC , September 15 2013.
Produced by The August Strindberg Repertory Theater and directed by Craig Baldwin.

Words of Praise for Mr. Bengt’s Wife

Produced by: Robert Greer with the cooperation of Theater Resources Unlimited.

“A Strindberg Rarity—Mr. Bengt’s Wife--An Answer to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House”

“Mr. Bengt’s Wife, in its American premiere (translated by Malin Tybåhl and Laurence Carr) treated me to an insightful view of a master in his early development. A no-holes-barred tale of hysteria, gender expectations and personal redemption, it is a mirror opposite of the mature and organized Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. The play is still ground-breaking, one of the true classics of progressive theatre.

Mr. Bengt’s Wife is a delirious collection of scenes boasting a lyricism approaching madness, with a heightened Shakespearian influence running through its modern language. Bengt    is a transitional piece, like one of a great composer finding his voice. And it is a glorious voice he is crafting.

The work is deeply emotional—ultimately leading toward a human conclusion. It has a stylized, episodic element to it, almost dream-like. Directed by Craig Baldwin, the piece was allowed to breathe, but always moved forward in its action. Kersti Bryan, well suited to the demanding role of Margit, never missed a beat, transforming herself from the high-flying, overly optimistic girl to the bitter and unforgiving wife and then back again, prompting us to ask if she is dangerously unstable or merely a multifaceted woman."

Melody Breyer-Grell, The Huffington Post, 9/19/13   Full review

“The August Strindberg Repertory Theatre digs deep into the Swedish misanthrope’s trunk of obscurities to unearth this 1882 tale of a woman determined to shake the yoke of convention.”

From the “Good Odds” column, Time Out New York, September 26-October 2, 2013.

"A new translation by Laurence Carr and Malin Tybahl makes this undiscovered masterpiece accessible to modern American audiences.   It has never before been translated into English and has been performed only five times previously: in Stockholm in 1882, Cologne in 1908, Vienna in 1914 (the Austrian Church demanded that it close after two performances), Berlin in 1920 and most recently, in Stockholm in 1971. The Strindbergian theme of marriage as an emotional battleground is strongly stated and   there are absurdist elements foreshadowing such Strindbergian signature works as The Dream Play."

       Broadway World To read the   article.

Kersti Bryan as Margit and Eric Percival as Mr. Bengt. Photo by Jingxi Zhang.

Mr. Bengt's Wife / Poster Logo Photo by Jonathan Slaff.

Mr. Bengt's Wife / Composition

PLAYING WITH FIRE / Att leka med elden , 1892

A comedy in one act. This play is set at a sea resort during the summer. The couple, Kerstin and Knut, is staying with Knut’s wealthy parents, along with Knut’s cousin Adele. Knut and Kerstin are in total financial dependency of his parents, which creates tensions between them. To complicate things further an old friend of Knut surprisingly shows up for a few days. Intrigues, jealousy and scheming are part of everyday life since both Knut and his father are hosting warm feelings towards Cousin Adele, while Kerstin and Axel are in heat.

Playing with Fire premiered at the Suny Hall Theater in Suny Orange, New York , November 7 2014.

Produced and Directed by: David H. Cohen Lighting Designer: Peter Galipeau

Playing with Fire is one of Strindberg's rare comedies. It originally premiered in Berlin in 1893 and was considered way too outspoken. It depicts erotic intricacies and love triangles within an artistic well to do family and their friends. Although a comedy, it is a serious one, where the characters hide their tragedy behind a certain cynicism, according to Strindberg's own writing. The characters can somehow only exist in relation to someone else. The original location is at a lake side in Sweden, but for various purposes the location has been moved to Woodstock. This Suny Orange production's set design "is a work of beauty".

Cast:
Newt: Alan Moss
Kerstin: Sarah Hutchinson
Mother: Victoria Cottone
Father: Joseph Polichetti
Adele: Jazmin Jackson
Axel: Dakota Cohen

IN THE WORKS

Gillets hemlighet / The Secret of the Guild (1880)

A Comedy in four acts. It's about a few craftsmen who are part of an association that is responsible for building and finishing a cathedral in the village. There is secret, handed down to each alderman of the society, of how to build so the church tower will hold up against the natural elements. There is a power struggle within the guild about the secret and who should be the next alderman. Jealousy, lies and attempted murder are all things going on, ending in catastrophe. It is believed that Strindberg may have used the cathedral of Uppsala as inspiration for this story as it collapsed once during construction.

Ett halvt ark papper / A Half Sheet of Paper:
A short story from the collection Sagor (1903)

It's about a man reminising about his life, from scribbles on a note, after losing his wife.