Hedda Gabler Characters and Plot Summary

Hedda (Gabler) Tesman
Hedda is a sharp and intelligent woman trapped in a loveless marriage with the academic George Tesman. Bored and stifled by her bourgeois existence, she seeks excitement and control through manipulation and cruelty. Her actions, driven by a desire for power and a yearning for a life of passion, ultimately lead to tragedy for herself and those around her.

George Tesman
George is Hedda’s well-meaning but naïve husband, a scholar whose primary focus is his academic career. He is oblivious to Hedda’s dissatisfaction and struggles to understand her complexity. His earnest and somewhat bumbling nature contrasts sharply with Hedda’s cunning and emotional depth.

Eilert Lovborg
Eilert is a brilliant but self-destructive poet and scholar, and a former lover of Hedda’s. He is grappling with alcoholism and a recent moral downfall, but hopes to rebuild his reputation with the help of his partner, Thea. Despite his flaws, Eilert represents a spark of passion and artistic freedom that Hedda both envies and despises.

Thea Elvsted
Thea is gentle, kind, and deeply in love with Eilert Lovborg, having left her unhappy marriage to support him. She is devoted to him and seeks to help him overcome his struggles. Thea represents a contrasting figure to Hedda, embodying purity and genuine affection. Her presence and influence over Eilert stir Hedda’s jealousy and insecurities.

Juliane Tesman (Aunt Julia)
George’s loving and doting aunt, Aunt Julia is selflessly devoted to his happiness and well-being. She provides a nurturing presence in the Tesman household, though her fussiness occasionally grates on Hedda.

Judge Brack
Brack is a judge of interior rank, and is a close friend of the Tesmans and frequent visitor to their home, where he enjoys gossiping and meddling in their affairs. He thrives on exerting control over others by exploiting secrets and leveraging social power. Brack is particularly interested in Hedda, and their relationship is marked by a complex interplay of power and seduction.

Berta
The Tesman’s loyal maid, Berta, is a minor but steady presence in the household. Her interactions often reveal underlying tensions between the characters.

Plot Summary

(SPOILER ALERT!)

Act 1: Hedda returns from her honeymoon with her husband, George Tesman, a scholar she does not love. Bored and stifled, she awaits the arrival of Eilert Lovborg, a former childhood friend and a brilliant but self-destructive poet. Hedda is both intrigued and repelled by Eilert, who represents a life of passion and freedom she craves.

Act 2: Eilert arrives, having overcome his alcoholism and produced a groundbreaking manuscript. However, he soon relapses, spending the night with Thea Elvsted, who is deeply in love with him. Hedda, observing their interaction, becomes obsessed with controlling Eilert’s fate.

Act 3: Eilert loses his manuscript, believing it to be irretrievable. Distraught and despairing, he considers suicide. Hedda, witnessing his anguish, manipulates him into destroying the manuscript, pushing him towards self-destruction.

Act 4: News arrives that Eilert has died by suicide. Hedda, realizing the extent of her influence over his demise, is both horrified and exhilarated. Judge Brack reveals his knowledge of Hedda’s involvement in Eilert’s death, using this information to exert control over her. Feeling trapped and suffocated by her own existence, she ultimately takes her own life with her father’s pistols, finding a brief moment of control in her final act of defiance.

 

Parent Survey for 2024 Summer Camps

We had a great week of summer camps with our high school and junior high kids!

Could you please take a minute to complete the following survey, and use the comment box at the end to make any suggestions and offer any other feedback about our camps. We want to make our classes and camps the best possible experience for our students! Thank you for your support and feedback!


Midsummer Night’s Dream Cast

hobnob theatre company had it’s first read-through of its summer Shakespeare in the Park production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Tuesday evening at Preston Park.

This year’s production will feature a smaller cast, with actors taking on several roles throughout the play, which adds to the fun and frivolity of the show.

This year’s cast includes Sarah Altomari, Casey Hoolihan, Jonathan Hutmire, Louis Hutmire, Jacke Senske, Deanna Sparrow, and Grant Jones (not pictured above).


Cast announced for this summer’s Tempest

We are excited to announce the cast for our 2023 Shakespeare in the Park production of The Tempest. hobnob first performed the play ten years ago at the Succop Theater. Now a decade later, two of the former cast members return to bring the play to life: Stefan Altomari will be reprising his role as Prospero, and Alison Carey, who played Sebastian, will now take on the role of Caliban.

The full cast is as follows:

Prospero – Stefan Altomari
Miranda – Jackie Mishol
Ariel – Deanna Sparrow
Caliban – Alison Carey
Ferdinand – Justin Macurdy
Trinculo – Justin Anderson
Stephano – Casey Bowser
Antonio – Steve Kalina
Sebastian – Elizabeth Smith
Alonso – Duane Peters
Gonzalo – Craig Adams
Adrian – Camden Rockcastle
Iris – Molly Miller
Ceres- Logan Andres
Juno – Hailey Hermann
Boatswain – Liz Flanders
Master – Shaun Donovan

Auditions announced for The Tempest!

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding auditions for our summer production of The Tempest on Sunday and Monday, June 4 and 5 at St. Peter’s Anglican Church on Jefferson Street in Butler.

The auditions will begin at 7:00pm both evenings. The sides for the audition can be viewed/downloaded at the following link. Those auditioning are encouraged to review the sides before auditioning:

Click here to view/download the audition sides.

Those auditioning for Ariel will also be asked to sing one of Ariel’s songs (“Full Fathom Five”). The music can be viewed/downloaded here (the song does not need to be memorized, and an accompanist will play):

Click here to view/download the sheet music for “Full Fathom Five.”

The Tempest will be performed at Preston Park in Butler in the evenings on July 28, 29 and 30. It will also be performed at the Amphitheater at Zelienople Community Park on August 4, 5, and 6.

Our production will feature parts for 10-11 men and 5-6 women. The Tempest is a very musical play, and actors who sing are encouraged to audition.

Click here to sign up for the audition.

The Tempest at Preston Park and Zelienople

It’s been ten years since hobnob’s first Shakespeare production. In July of 2013 hobnob brought Shakespeare’s The Tempest to the Succop Theater at BC3. The show ran only two evenings, but was an important first step as hobnob’s inaugural Shakespeare production.

This summer, hobnob will return to the enchanted isle “full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs…,” performing The Tempest in Preston Park in Butler Township, and at the amphitheater in Zelienople.

Performances at Preston Park:
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, July 28, 29, 30

Performances at Zelienople:
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, August 4, 5, 6

Auditions will be held June 4 and 5; an audition form will be posted on our website and socials.

Tickets will be available in July. We look forward to sharing this story with you!