Scenes from a Marriage

A stage adaptation of the 1973 film by Ingmar Bergman 

February 7 – March 1, 2025 | 7:30pm

Performed by 

  • Marianne……………………………………………….Tracie Lane* 
  • Johan………………………………………………….Jack Hunter* 
  • Johan, Peter, Mr. Jacobi………………………………..Stan Klimecko* 
  • Johan………………………………………………….Todd Benzin 
  • Johan, Katherine, Eva…………………………………Christine Turturro 

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers, appearing under a special agreement with Actors’ Equity Association.

 

Production Team

  • Co-Directors – Dan Shanahan, Melissa Meola
  • Scenography – Kristina Siegel
  • Lighting Design – Matvey Kitchen
  • Sound Design – Justin Rowland
  • Costume Design – Jessica Wegrzyn
  • Production Manager – Carly Weiser
  • Stage Manager – Mary Margaret Keenan-Brown
  • Technical Director – Daniel Toner
  • Audio Engineer – Dan Neveu
  • Fight Director – Stefanie Warnick
  • Costume Assistant – Kalub Thompson
  • Box Office / House Manager – Jennifer Carter
  • Carpenter – Sean Kulak
  • Special Thanks: The Adam Mickiewicz Library and Dramatic Circle

Director’s Note

Hell is not a place but a condition- a condition of our own making. We live within roles, schedules, and obligations imposed upon us Who are we when those parameters are obliterated? Ingmar Bergman’s “Scenes from a Marriage” explores two people trying to understand their relationship and the roles they play in it and the world. Written in 1972, the story of Marianne and Johan unfolds as the traditional roles of husband and wife shift, creating both possibility and uncertainty. As Marianne moves from the role of Johan’s wife to an independent person, both struggle with love, desire, and longevity —what they mean and what they cost. Their journey is not straight but circular, exposing the tensions of intimacy and the fragility of human connection. On stage, we cast four actors as Johan. This choice reflects his transformation as different sides of him emerge. It also expands the role beyond a single viewpoint, making it not just his story but a shared human experience. Like light through a prism, Johan fractures, each version revealing another part of his identity and his relationship with Marianne. Enjoy the show.

  • Dan Shanahan and Melissa Meola – Directors, Scenes from a Marriage

 

Scenographer’s Note

My scenographic work is centered on the abstraction and reduction of a set to its core spatial and narrative elements, always with a focus on maintaining the human scale and the actor’s presence. For me, set design isn’t merely an illustrative or decorative background—it is an artistic entity that generates meaning through the interaction of form, space, and choreography.

For Scenes from A Marriage, my scenography creates a deliberately artificial environment, influenced by Bertolt Brecht’s “defamiliarization effect,” in order to highlight the intricate and unsettling nature of human relationships.

The set design features a fragmented, perspective-driven stage, which represents the necessary interior spaces. Key spatial elements include:

  • An elevated stage with a recessed area for the bedroom, initially filled with boxes that symbolize change and transition, later becoming a part of the protagonist’s world as imagery for moving out.
  • Movable architectural elements—walls,, windows,, and furniture—constantly redefine the space for each scene. For example, mobile sideboards furniture pieces –altering spatial boundaries.
  • The surfaces are treated as a whole, giving the set an unfinished, sketch-like quality, as if the installation were interrupted or incomplete, enhancing the sense of alienation.
  • The use of wooden slat furniture, draws from Scandinavian design, subtly referencing Ingmar Bergman’s origins, while the bold orange, red, yellow, and pink color scheme heightens the artificiality, distorting the boundary between the theater world and reality

The continual transformation of space—shifting from order to chaos, wide to narrow, with unstable borders—forms the core of my design for Scenes from A Marriage, reflecting the emotional volatility and instability of the characters’ relationships.

  • Kristina Siegel – Scenographer, Scenes from a Marriage

 

“…a kaleidoscopic production that peels back the layers of Bergman’s exploration of love, time, and personal evolution.” – Anthony Chase, Theater Talk

THE THEATER TALK REVIEW

 

Production Photos Credit: Nickel City Headshots