Adapting Henrik Ibsen is an age-old tradition, so it’s exciting when an artist comes along with a truly fresh vision of the titanic playwright’s work. Nia DaCosta’s “Hedda” is one of those visions. Ibsen’s 1891 play “Hedda Gabler” stands tall above the history of stagecraft as one of the most provocative works in the medium, and it has drawn no shortage of brilliant artists over the decades. Both the play and its titular role, of a woman trapped in a house and a marriage she cannot tolerate, have been iterated upon since the 19th century.
DaCosta’s adaptation and Tessa Thompson’s interpretation of the character are both such strong new ideas of what this play and who this woman can be. DaCosta, an SFFILM Rainin Grantee Alumna for her 2018 debut “Little Woods,” also starring Thompson, has worked with the star three times now. Their collaborative effort is invigorating and “Hedda” is, on the whole, a glamorous and zippy affair that entices its audience just as Hedda entices her guests t...
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