On October 13, the fall play “An Enemy of the People” premiered. Four performances were put on, including one for select classes on Friday morning. Adapted by Arthur Miller, the play was originally written by Henrik Ibsen in 1882, in response to the public outcry against his play Ghosts.

The play takes place in a nameless town in Norway and tells the story of Doctor Thomas Stockmann, played by sophomore Ian Davis-Huie, and his journey to reveal the truth. Dr. Stockmann discovers that the town springs are contaminated with harmful bacteria. He thinks of a solution but it would cost a significant amount of money and the town’s reputation. Stockmann gets into many confrontations with his family and friends about revealing the truth about the harmful bacteria, especially with  his elder brother, Peter played by junior Benjamin Bowman.. Eventually, everybody in the town turns against Stockmann and his family.

“Stockmann goes from being one of the most highly regarded people in the town to being an outcast, the enemy of the people,” Davis-Huie said. “He fights for truth and justice in the face of a lot of people who say that he should just keep quiet.”

Sophomore Beau Renegar plays Morten Stockmann, Dr. Stockmann’s son.

“It turns out that everyone hates his theory and just does not accept it and thinks he’s wrong, which is obviously not true,” Renegar said.

Amazing performances were put on by all actors involved, including the ensemble. Bowman’s portrayal of Peter was particularly memorable. Bowman’s loud performance fit well with his character and resonated well with the audience. Davis-Huie’s performance as Dr. Stockmann did as well with his blunt rhetoric earning laughs from the audience.

The performance was serious but had well executed moments of humor.

The set, designed by Linda. Moody and Teri Beadle, was realistic and fit the time period and setting. It was detail oriented but simplistic.

The costumes were interesting and well fitting and overall very aesthetically pleasing.

Every second of the two and a half hours was captivating and entertaining. Overall “An Enemy of the People” was an awe-inspiring play and students should look forward to more great performances from the Reynolds theatre department.