The proposal for the set and costumes
of Henrik Ibsen’s renowned work “The Dollhouse”,
written and placed in Norway in 1879,
was designed
for National Theater of Greece – Main Stage,
in the historic Ziller’s building in downtown Athens.
Inspiration was drawn by modern “Noras”
living in contemporary superconservative
religious communities
such as the Hasidic Jews and the Baptist Christian sects,
like the Amis, the Quakers, the Mennonites,
and the Mormons to name a few.
Women who suffocate in their predetermined role
within the social norms of their environment,
and have to make such a difficult decision
as to leave everything behind in order to escape,
often leaving their children behind,
in an attempt to discover a new life,
one of knowledge and freedom.
With a clear reference to the Hebrew “kosher”,
but also discreet hints of the erotic sadomasochistic culture,
the scenographic and costumes proposal for this project
detects the boundaries between dominator and dominee,
following Ibsen’s pathway in his subtle manipulations
using the help of lighting and sound.
The set design and costumes were designed
during the Set Design And Costumes workshop
of the National Theater of Greece,
under the supervision of scenographers
Eva Manidaki and Konstantinos Zamanis,
during the 2020 pandemic.