"Ghosts"

"Ghosts": Ibsen's Scandalous Drama of Dirty Family Secrets

Henrik Ibsen's 1881 masterpiece, presented here by Everyman Theater, explores the lengths to which a wealthy widow will go in order to protect her son from the sins of his father. For the 29 years since she married the wealthy, charming Captain Alving, Helen has kept a dark secret: the reality of her late husband's many infidelities. Now, with her son Osvald finally home from overseas, a triumphant new life is set to begin and the past will be buried forever. Or will it? With its references to sexually transmitted diseases, euthanasia and incest, "Ghosts" was one of the most controversial plays of the late 19th century and a scathing commentary on the morality of the times -- and its dramatic power remains fully intact.