WWU students meet at crossroads of theatre and science with new staging of ‘An Enemy of the People’

This spring, the Theatre Department staged Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People,” a play originally written in 1882 but with issues that still feel contemporary. 

Ibsen’s play is about a doctor who discovers that the town’s newly constructed spa, a major tourist destination that serves as the town’s main economic force, has baths that have been contaminated by toxic runoff from a nearby tannery. The doctor attempts to warn the town about his scientific findings and the serious threat to human health, and proposes what he sees as a simple solution. Instead, he unintentionally releases a political firestorm that is played out through the press. 

At its heart, the play is about how stakeholders in a public arena come to an agreement — or don’t — over issues that divide a community.

But this isn’t a theater review; it’s a look at how art can be a powerful tool to communicate science, and how current events can inspire artists.

“Although the arts and sciences overlap much more than people give it credit for, it’s unusual to have such a strong connection in this case,” said Professor Evan Mueller of Western’s Department of Theatre and Dance, who directed WWU’s production.

Sometimes a historical play like “An Enemy of the People” provides the perfect opportunity to apply theater skills like performance, design, and technology while also exploring themes that are unexpectedly relevant.

“We were really inspired to bring a play whose content feels like it was being written today, written about our current struggles with environmental policy, the media, corruption in government, greed, et cetera,” said Mueller. “The juxtaposition of the period theatricality, such as the beautiful period costuming, with these explosively relevant themes has been incredibly exciting to create and to share with audiences.”

Mueller connected with Sofield and SMoCS co-instructor Zander Albertson, a senior instructor in the Environmental Studies Department, to bring the theater and SMoCS students together to explore the art-science connection.