In 1969 I saw the Ibsen play, “An Enemy of the People”, performed at the original Citadel Theatre in Edmonton. It featured my Drama Professors, Jeremy Dix-Hart, Brian Gromoff.
I was a U of A Freshman. People were protesting the Viet Nam War, Nuclear testing on Amchitka and maters of social injustice. Ibsen seemed perfect for the ‘time’.
My evaluation of the Play reflected 1969 values. For me the Theme was challenging the established status-quo with new ideas, only to be ostracized and shunned.
Wikipedia does it better. They write; “…a man dares to expose an unpalatable truth publicly and is punished for it.”
The Theme of presenting the “… unpalatable truth publicly…” and being “… punished for it” is universal and timeless. It is the ‘stuff’ of revolution.
A Brief Outline of the Play
A Town opens a wonderful new Spa, hoping to increase tourism and business opportunities.
The main character is Dr. Thomas Stockman, who serves as the local Medical Officer.
He becomes suspicious when people using the Spa get sick. He sends a sample of the water to the Lab and discovers the water is contaminated by bacteria.
Seems the contaminants are coming from the Tannery owned by Dr. Stockman’s father-in-law. Closing the Tannery would put people out of work. Closing the Spa would harm tourism.
Stockman wants to close the Spa. He intends to print and distribute the story of how Spa bacteria is making people sick.
There is a backlash. Towns people will not allow him to publish his story or close the Spa.
One assumes the people said (my words), “You are infringing on my rights and freedoms and my right to make money, regardless of the consequences.”
The people turn against Dr. Stockman. He is the enemy of the people. His Daughter is fired from her teaching job. Stockman is encouraged to leave town.
Enduring Theme
I have never read a review of this Play based on ‘events of the day’ but daily events do influence writers. In Miller’s 1953 Play, The Crucible, he uses the injustices of the ‘Committee on Un-American Activities’ as motivation.
However, most Theatre is for entertainment. An enduring Play, like “An Enemy of the People”, has to reflect events of the time when it is written but the Theme must be important to future generations. An enduring Theme is the Unintended Consequence of an excellent play.
1880 Background Information – and Germ Theory
Writing about the dangers of Bacteria in the Spa in 1880 was controversial. The concept of ‘Bacteria and Germs’ in 1880 was like the great COVID Kerfuffle of today. Some agreed – some were furiously opposed.
1882 was a time of major change in Medical Science. The New Age of Bacteriology and Germ Theory emerged, propelled by the discoveries of French Chemist and Microbiologist Louis Pasteur; English Surgeon Joseph Lister; German Physician Robert Koch and others.
Germ Theory replaced ‘Miasma Theory’ the long standing, accepted belief that illness was caused by ‘bad air’. The transition from ‘Miasma’ to ‘Germ Theory and Bacteriology’ was slow. Folks did not trust the ‘new science’.
One can only assume Ibsen chose to write about ‘bacteria in the water’ because it was the ‘topic of the day’. Dr. John Snow had studied Cholera and water in London in the 1850s and in the 1880s Robert Koch confirmed Cholera was caused by bacteria in water.
Conclusion
Although the Hippies of the Sixties take credit for challenging authority and presenting new ideas – the concept is as old as time. New Ideas – Change – and the desire to maintain the existing ‘system’ continue to lead to clashes.
Footnote: Retired performer and former University of Alberta dialect coach Jeremy Dix-Hart passed away on July 12, 2011 at his mother’s home in Cape Town, South Africa.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
