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As summer starts winding down, local theater is picking up with two interesting plays set to open at the end of the month at Long Beach Shakespeare Company and International City Theatre.
Long Beach Shakespeare Company will stage Henrik Ibsen’s classic play “A Doll’s House” for three weekends beginning Friday, Aug. 29, directed by Michael Hovance.
The play was considered groundbreaking when it first performed in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1879, shocking audiences with its examination of a marriage unraveling and a woman, Nora, deciding how to break free, especially under heavy societal expectations and with children involved.
Artistic Director Holly Leveque calls the play “a riveting tale of love, lies and liberation” and “one of the most influential and talked about plays in modern theater history.”
“A Doll’s House” has inspired other plays over the years, including Lucas Hnath’s 2017 “A Doll’s House, Part 2” that catches up with Nora 15 years later and which performed locally at International City Theatre three years ago.
“’A Doll’s House’ isn’t just a period drama,” says Leveque. “It’s a mirror that reflects our ongoing conversations about autonomy, truth and what it means to live authentically.”
Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s “A Doll’s House” will perform on weekends at the Helen Borgers Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave., from Aug. 29 to Sept. 14 For tickets and information, call 562-997-1494 or visit LBShakespeare.org.
Opening the same weekend, International City Theatre’s (ICT) world premiere of “Masala Dabba” focuses on a mother originally from India estranged from her American-born daughter — and a 14-year-old granddaughter she has never met.
The title refers to the mother’s Indian spice box, called a “masala dabba.”
“How do we resolve deep resentments that often divide our families, the very people we should be able to count on for love and support?” ICT asks. “Food becomes a portal into the past as the three generations of women bond through stories inspired by the spices.”
Resident playwright Wendy Graf — whose riveting “Exit Wounds” performed at ICT in 2023 following her “Closely Related Keys” in 2021 — said she was inspired to write this play after traveling in India and because of her love of Indian food.
“My plays return again and again to themes of family, culture and identity as seen through the lens of race, religion, politics, war and today’s schisms,” Graf said.
ICT brought in script development consultant Kaushal Pandya and cultural consultant Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti to work with the creative team, which includes award-winning director Marya Mazor.
“’Masala Dabba’ centers on a mixed Indian and African American family,” says Graf. “But I hope that all audiences will see themselves and their families in this story.”
International City Theatre’s “Masala Dabba” will perform at the Beverly O’Neill Theater, 330 East Seaside Way, on weekends from Aug. 29 to Sept. 14, with two lower-priced previews offered Wednesday, Aug. 27 and Thursday, Aug. 28. For tickets and information, call the box office at 562-436-4610 or visit ICTLongBeach.org.