Stage Review - An Enemy of the People (Union Arts Center)

Stage Review - An Enemy of the People
Presented By: Union Arts Center - Seattle, WA
Show Run: September 20 - October 05, 2025
Date Reviewed: Thursday, September 25, 2025 (Opening Night)
Run Time: 2 hours (inclusive of a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

“Freedom of speech is sacrosanct, but when the interests of the (people) are at risk, it is our duty to keep those voices down”. Those words could have been something said over the past week or two, given that the issue of Freedom of Speech is on the top of everyone’s conversation list recently, however it’s really (albeit a bit paraphrased) a line from the Amy Herzog adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s 1883 play An Enemy of the People, a story of the vulnerability of democracy when it’s mixed with an economy based on unchecked capitalism. The play itself is less historical artifact and more like a mirror, ringing like a warning bell in our own time.

The dialogue at the start may feel overly dramatic, almost deliberate in its construction, as if the actors are speaking with heightened purpose rather than everyday ease. Yet, much like a Shakespeare play, the ear adjusts. Soon enough, that style becomes second nature, and what seems stilted at first transforms into a rhythm that allows the audience to grasp the play’s unique conversational style. By the time the conflict reaches its fever pitch, the deliberate language feels not only natural but necessary.

Aaron Blakely anchors the production as Dr. Thomas Stockmann, and it’s his unraveling that becomes the show’s compass. At first he radiates the kind of assured optimism that makes the audience relate to him, but by the time his colleagues, neighbors, and even family begin to peel away, the edges of his optimism begin to fray. Aaron provides a glimpse into the idealist’s rage and heartbreak in equal measure, his voice cracking not from weakness but from the weight of standing alone. Opposite him, Bradford Farwell’s Peter is all restraint and calculation, the sibling who understands power and isn’t afraid to wield it. One of the most charged scenes of the evening comes when the brothers face off—Thomas clinging fiercely to principle and public health, Peter concerned only with the town’s economics. Their battle of words is more than familial; it’s the collision of ethics against expediency, truth against profit.

Alanah Pascual’s Petra provides a moral counterweight to her brother’s and uncle’s conflict, her tender moment with her father illuminated by warm, gentle lighting that underscores their connection. Ricky Spaulding’s newspaperman Hovstad shifts from sympathetic to self-preserving with unnerving ease, while Robert Shampain as Aslaksen embodies the “moderate majority” in a way that draws an audible groans from the audience. It’s a familiar character, something we’ve all seen in the news, or in our neighborhoods, someone who is an idealist only to the point where it’s convenient for him to be so.

The production is strongest when it leans into its allegory. Ibsen’s play is, unmistakably, a parable for our current political and social climate. The oligarchs in control of the baths stand in for the powerful few, while the tradesmen and working class remain powerless despite their numbers. Science, which should be impartial and straightforward, becomes a political weapon—its facts twisted, its urgency delayed—all to protect those in power. That sting of recognition is what makes the story hit so hard in 2025.

The design work reflects this duality of simplicity and resonance. Matthew Smucker’s set is sparse—a desk, table, and chairs that shift from home to newspaper office with only the change of overhead lights suspended from above the stage. At the beginning of Act Two, the transformation is striking: furniture removed, chairs arranged in an oval, the ceiling piece above the stage tilting to suggest a sharper, more oppressive roof. It’s a small adjustment with a big impact, underscoring how environment can bend and press upon the people within it. Connie Yun’s lighting amplifies the emotional beats, from that gentle glow in the Stockmann home to harsh illumination in the town hall. Cathy Hunt’s costumes are period-faithful yet never distracting, grounding the characters while letting the themes rise to the surface. Robertson Witmer’s original music heightens the tension while Dominic CodyKramers’ sound design provides a number of memorable moments, none more so than the shattering glass that freezes the town hall fight in its tracks—a moment that jolts the audience as much as the characters.

The climactic town hall scene is staged with visceral energy, the fighting so well choreographed by Geoffrey Alm that it borders on chaos while still remaining precise. This particular scene is one that brings the audience in, getting them caught up in the mob mentality, until the crash of breaking glass silences the hall in one quick moment, a moment alone encapsulates Victor’s direction: measured, but unafraid to let the play erupt when the story demands it.

Union Arts Center’s An Enemy of the People doesn’t just restage a classic. It demands that we ask ourselves where we would stand if we were in that room, faced with the choice between truth and convenience. It’s part allegory and part warning, and it’s the kind of production that makes theatre indispensable—not just art for art’s sake, but a call to pay attention. For anyone who believes theatre should stir the mind as much as the heart, An Enemy of the People is essential viewing.

The premier show for the new Union Arts Center, An Ememy of the People, runs on stage through October 5. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.unionartscenter.org/.

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