Performed by Greek National Opera

Pillars Of Society is a play in four acts by Norwegian playwright and poet Henrik Ibsen (1828 – 1906). Ibsen created twenty-six plays and a volume of poetry and is noted for his nationalistic spirit and for exploring Europe’s social problems during the 1800s. Critics both past and present have praised his realistic approach to drama and his well-developed characters.

Synopsis

The plot centers upon a flagrant case of municipal corruption, carried out by the town's "finest" people. The selfishness of the elite results in widespread tragedy, yet still the perpetrators hypocritically blame everyone but themselves.

In the opening scene of The Pillars of Society, we find Consul Bernick at the height of his career. The richest, most powerful and respected citizen of the community, he is held up as the model of an ideal husband and devoted father. In short, a worthy pillar of society.He has based his success on more or less unscrupulous business dealings, but is highly respected by his fellow citizens as a man of impeccable morals.

The best ladies of the town Betty come together in the home of the Bernicks. And they have a son of thirteen, Olaf. In his youth Bernick had jilted his sweetheart Lona Hessel for the sake of her step-sister's greater inheritance. While engaged to Betty, fifteen years before the opening of the play, he had been discovered in a mistress's bedroom, an event which had dramatic consequences. In order to avoid the scandal, he let Betty's brother Johan, who was about to emigrate to the USA, take the blame. Bernick also started a rumour that Johan had stolen a sum of money. This rumor was to cover up the fact that Bernick's firm was insolvent. When the play opens, he and other leading citizens are planning to bring a railway to the town, and have secretly bought up land along the site of the railway. When Johan returns from the USA, along with his step-sister Lona, and threatens to reveal the secrets of the past, Bernick is in a difficult position, since his business plans are dependent on his reputation as an irreproachable pillar of society. Bernick allows a ship to be launched which he knows is not seaworthy, and only after the ship has sailed does he discover that his own son, who has run away from home, is onboard. Johan threatens revenge when he finds out how Bernick has misused his loyalty and made him a scapegoat in the town. He takes Dina Dorf, daughter of Bernick's former mistress, on Bernick's ship to America, where he will marry her, though he says he intends to come back. The consul believes that three of his own people will go down with the unseaworthy ship, but it turns out that the ship has not sailed after all. Under pressure and encouragement from the sweetheart of his youth, Lona Hessel, Bernick confesses his sins in a speech to all his fellow citizens, who have come to celebrate him as a pillar of society. He urges them all to judge his guilt freely and to start a new and better life without the hitherto hypocritical life-style of the small community.

Remarks: Tickets for Pillar of Society by Greek National Opera will be available soon!