Caltech Playreaders 67th Season: "An Enemy of the People" by Henrik Ibsen

Directed and Introduced by John Davidson

In Ibsen's 1882 drama the good Dr. Stockman is fighting to rid his town's bath spas of poison
leaking into the pipes from the local tannery. Such is the currency of its concerns, it could have
been written last week: sibling rivalry, a political cover-up by hypocritical pragmatists, and the
thin line between hubris and the moral high ground. The play reaches a rapid boil in the
seething confrontation between the brothers that concludes the first act. Ibsen's brilliance is in
revealing Stockman from all perspectives: his unbending morals and his contempt for the
unthinking majority can seem both radical and invigorating. It is as disturbingly true to life as a
play can get.

Admission is $3.00 for members of the Caltech Women's Club; $4.00 for all others. Light refreshments will be served after the reading.

To dine at the Athenaeum beforehand, call (626) 395-8204 for reservations. Plan to be seated by 5:30. You are welcome to join the Playreaders table.