‘A Doll’s House’ to open in Walled Lake

WALLED LAKE — The Inspired Acting Company in Walled Lake is currently in its second season, and will premiere the Tony Award-winning Amy Herzog adaptation of playwright Henrik Ibsen’s classic “A Doll’s House,” on April 25.

According to West Bloomfield resident Jeff Thomakos, producing artistic director and founder of The Inspired Acting Company, “A Doll’s House” is the first feminist play. However, Herzog streamlined and modernized the play a few years ago.

The play tells the story of a woman whose illusions are shattered after her husband’s promotion reveals the unforeseen consequences of one of her past decisions. The play first hit the stage in 1879 and continues to raise questions on the issues of freedom and individuality, according to Thomakos.

“For this cast of ‘A Doll’s House,’ I think it’s going to be a master’s class in acting. I think we have some of the best actors I’ve ever seen,” Thomakos said. “They’re going to be phenomenal. It’s just going to blow you away.”

The theater company will generally offer four productions each season with professional casts, although its first season had six.

“They’re a very bold theater company with lots of great ideas, and I think they are going to be very successful ultimately,”  said  board member Norman Berman, of Commerce Township.

He said they have a “very good  ethic” in terms of classics as well as newer productions.

Thomakos said that he decided to found the company after returning to Michigan after living in the South for several years. He said they returned as his wife had been given a job opportunity she couldn’t refuse and asked him what he wanted to do.

“I said, ‘Well, actually, I really want to start a theater and a school that really subscribes to my belief that actors are artists in their own right and that really tries to create a vibe where they can really do their highest work,’” Thomakos said.

He brings nearly 40 years of theatrical experience to the company,including three years as the artistic director for Shakespeare Royal Oak.

“It’s my mission to really highlight Michigan actors, directors, and designers and to really show off their abilities,” Thomakos said.

Thomakos said that, aside from his experience, what gives his company an edge is that he is “the most credentialed purveyor of the Michael Chekhov technique in the world.”

The Michael Chekhov technique is a psycho-physical approach to acting. The technique emphasizes imagination and physical movement. It aims to show a character’s emotion with physical gestures to show a connection between an inner response and outer expression. Thomakos said it also requires actors to take responsibility for the work they do and the effect it has on the audience, which Chekhov coined “the theater of the future.”

He said they are really doubling down on that concept and that he believes it shows in the level of care they take with each show and the way the audiences have been responding to their performances.

Berman, a composer and playwright with an extensive background in Broadway theater, agreed that Thomakos’ knowledge and ability to teach the Chekhov technique gives The Inspired Acting Company an edge over other theater companies.

“All the people of the ensemble are going to have the same method,” said Berman. “It’s a very good way to start a company.”

Berman, who has experience with starting new theater companies in New York from the ground up, heard of The Inspired Acting Company and said he had to get involved.

“I saw that it was a new theater company and it was right around the corner from me, and I thought this would be something to do. I could give back to the theater because I have so much knowledge,” Berman said.

Thomakos said that many people are surprised that a 105-seat theater is located in a strip mall alongside Harbor Freight. He said he chose the location at 1124 E. West Maple Road  because it was the site of a former theater company that disbanded at the start of the pandemic.

“Finding a theater space in this area that has already been made into a theater is kind of like finding a unicorn,” Thomakos said. “It was like a miracle.”

Most of the performances are done in a thrust configuration, meaning on three sides so that the audience feels like they are in someone’s living room and as if they are a part of the show.

“Every show that we have done has gotten an amazing response from our audience,” Thomakos said. “Our audiences are just so surprised that our theater is located in a strip mall and is so good. What’s most gratifying to me is not only hearing the audience response, which has been phenomenal, but also when the actors say to me, ‘Oh my gosh, I feel like I’m home. I feel like this is my artistic home,’ and they’re really surprised that there’s a place where they can really feel free to really be themselves and to really try to aspire to their greatest work.”

Along with theatrical productions, The Inspired Acting Company is also periodically offering acting classes for an at-will donation. Community members are encouraged to sign up online for a class and try their hands at acting.

They also have a great deal of volunteer opportunities. They are currently looking for board members as well as ushers, front of the house staff, and building and run crew members.

Tickets for “A Doll’s House” cost $35 for adults and $30 for those under 30 and those over 65 years old. All tickets are general admission seating. The theater will open one hour before showtime with access to seating 30 minutes prior to showtime. The show runs through May 11.

For more information on performances, classes or getting involved in the theater, visit inspiredacting.org. The theater’s phone number is (248) 863-9953.