 Monday, Mar 10, 2014 Arts & Music  American Stage squeezing
into corsets for 'A Doll's House'  Tribune correspondent
Published:   |   Updated: March 14, 2013 at 01:09 AM  When
Henrik Ibsen wrote "A Doll's House" in 1879, conventions and
corsets bound most women to hearth and home. Yet the Danish
playwright busted through those stodgy rules with his strong
female character, Nora Helmer. Shocking though the play was at
its premiere, it is now considered a classic.  The drama earned
this honored place in theater because of its continued
relevance. Ibsen's story is about the world as much as it is
about individual characters, and that inclusiveness withstands
time. But because of its broad appeal, "A Doll's House" has been
analyzed, categorized and deconstructed to death.  "It's mostly
known by people as a feminist play," said Seth Gordon, who is
directing the upcoming American Stage Theatre production. "Ibsen
denied it and said he was writing about human issues. I see it
as a story about a woman who is misunder