New York (AP) ā Jessica Chastain counts her performance as Nora in the current Broadway revival of āA Dollās House" to be one of the āhardest thingsā she has ever done.
Coming from the actor who has played televangelist and country singer Tammy Wynette, that's saying a lot.
The two-hour play was so emotionally draining to perform, she said, that she wanted to skip the final bow.
āIāve come out for the curtain call, not ready for the curtain call, and thatās been difficult,ā said.
But after speaking with director Jamie Lloyd, she rallied and decided it was important for the audience.
āThere are times I go out there and Iām like, trying to hold it together. And Iām still feeling like the play course through my veins,ā she said.
The Oscar-winning actor is currently appearing in a limited run of the groundbreaking 1879 Henrik Ibsen play that challenged the sacredness of marriage, gender roles, and womenās rights. It was so controversial for its time that many actors would not perform the playās ending.
Chastain saw the subject as a worthy reason to return to the stage because it still resonates today with conversations about representation and authenticity.
Earlier this week, Chastain sat down with the Associated Press for a special interview where she spoke about the emotional demands of the play, the importance of examining people's struggles, and what she's thinking about, sitting on stage when the audience enters the theater.
Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
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AP: How challenging was it to perform in such a scaled-down version of the play? Jessica Chastain: Oh, itās so difficult. The director, he was very smart in the way that he, like, held information back from me because we knew we were doing this for a long time. And then as rehearsals came closer, he started to give me a little information about, like, maybe no props ā and I was like, what is happening?
AP: Itās quite minimalist. Chastain: I remember one time, very early on, I said to Jamie (Lloyd), āI donāt understand how to do this. I mean, in the play it says that I enter the stage and Iām eating cookies, and then (turn) right immediately.ā I said, āI say to someone (a castmate), I would never do that.ā So thatās important that the audience knows that. Like, obviously in the beginning Iām not being truthful because I go, āHow do I do (pretend Iām eating) if I donāt have the cookies?ā (Lloyd says) āāBecause you do it with your acting.ā Itās probably one of the hardest things Iāve ever done. This idea of, like, trapping me in one place and stripping me from any kind of tool. It feels quite bare.
AP: When Ibsen wrote this play more than a hundred years ago, it was controversial and some actors would not perform the ending. Does it go beyond talking about womanās oppression in the 19th century, to relate to today? Chastain: Absolutely. Itās this great piece of feminist literature, but itās I think the way Jamie has staged it and thought about it, and the way Amyās adapted it, it goes beyond gender. It really speaks to anyone who is playing a part to please a person, in order to have power in a society that denies them freedom and agency. And in doing so, youāre upholding the system that denies you freedom and agency. I learned a lot about myself by playing Nora. Like, in what ways do I deny my feelings or deny who I am to try to make others happy in order not to cause any waves? And I think many people could probably relate to that.
AP: The show begins when we walk into the theater and you are already sitting on stage. What are your pre-show thoughts? Chastain: Iām going into the character of Nora. Iām already starting to feel a little trapped and stuck. You know, Iām in the house and Iām also connecting to the audience. So, Iām looking at everyone in their eyes. Iām connecting to them energetically. Itās the beginning of creating almost like this sacred space. Iām letting them know: I can see you. I value you. Youāre in this with me. And weāre going to go on this journey together. This is a joint experience.
AP: As an actor that always seems to be working, why was this play important to dedicate your time to, eight times a week? Chastain: I think anything that I put my energy into, Iām asking myself, āWhat am I putting into the world?ā What am I putting out to the world, in terms of this message to the public that maybe, hopefully, inspires people when they come to the play. Are they going to reexamine their lives and how theyāre living their lives? And then thirdly, what am I going to learn about myself? Itās going to be really challenging for me. And this for sure, checked every single box.
AP: Nora goes through a lot in the performance, how emotionally draining is it to play her? Chastain: Thank goodness I get to start in a quiet, up, energetic, happy, playful way. She really does go through some kind of a mental breakdown in the middle of the play, and then she rebuilds herself from that. Itās such a beautiful journey, as an actress, to get to do that. But there are often times Iāve come out for the curtain call, not ready for the curtain call, and thatās been difficult. Iāve actually asked the director if it was possible for me to not do a curtain call because I felt like I needed a moment to calm down from the last scene. I've wondered about Nora just leaving. And Jamie helps me understand that the curtain call is not for me, itās really for the audience. So there are times I go out there and Iām like, trying to hold it together. And Iām still feeling the play course through my veins.
John Carucci, The Associated Press
