Jon Paul Gates talks about the complex Hedda Gabler.

Hedda Gabler, a play and movie of the frustrations and despair engendered in the era of a conventionalized Victorian society. The works of Henrik Ibsen has provided much material for academics all seeking to enlarge their understanding of the nature of Hedda Gabler’s alienation and despair through the dynamic structure of the play as a whole.
We interviewed Jon Paul Gates, actor who plays Judge Brack in the most recent movie adaption of Hedda Gabler. To find out some of his thoughts of the infamous femme fatal and who and what Ibsen was trying to tell us?

Too many Hedda is a complex character. Is she a Villain or a heroine? How would you explain Hedda’s personality and actions.
Jon Paul – I think her actions are perfectly justified and she shouldn’t really be perceived as a Villain. Remember this is a time before the suffragettes and she is a rich, aristocratic woman who has been feed many fairy-tale of romances. It’s just the reality for a woman at that time, were not really fair or allowed them what they believed was true. I always saw her as a strong hero.

Jon Paul Gates & Rita Ramnani

Would you consider this a play primarily about people, or about ideas?
Jon Paul Gates- I wanted to be part of this production as all the characters had there own ‘Joli De Vivre”. They were not simply there to just facilitate Hedda’s journey. Previous Versions had become rather bland and predictable where as Matthew John’s version “Rocky Horror Picture Show” angle will certainly ruffle some Ibsen purist feathers.
Throughout the course of the play, Hedda engages in some heavy flirtation with Judge Brack. Yet she declares she will not be unfaithful to George. Is there such a thing as intellectual infidelity?
Jon Paul Gates: Yes- But Isn’t this the archetypal woman’s trait. She’s allowed to flirt as long as she doesn’t consummate? Isn’t Hedda a woman ahead of her time postulating in a male dominated era? She is a victim of circumstance as well as time. Would she have been unfaithful during our era – probably yes. But would she have married Tesman is our era- probably not. She is definitely unfaithful to George, but then can you blame her, when being trapped in a loveless marriage.

Rita Ramnani & Jon Paul Gates

So, based on your reading of the play, what do you think Hedda wants?
Jon Paul Gates: She wants Judge Brack (joking). She yearns to control people. Just like Judge Brack. If she can control people. She can control her own destiny. And gain freedom. It’s funny, as I think Judge Brack already controls people and his own destiny, yet he is drawn to Hedda as he can’t control her. One seeks freedom though control life. One seeks freedom throw losing control.

George, Brack and Eilert, it seems all the men drooling over Hedda. what was the reason ??
Jon Paul Gates: To each she represents something different and to each their own beautiful illusion. She has become a mixture of different characters and desires to different people within the story. Whether that be the perfect wife. Or the perfect conquest. Or the perfect challenge. Yet the further she goes down that past, the more she loses herself.

Jon Paul Gates

Why is Isben’s play titled Hedda Gabler instead of Hedda Tesman?
Jon Paul Gates: I think it is because Ibsen wrote her as a man. She couldn’t be more Machismo and after all what woman in that era would be playing around with pistols.

When Hedda and Brack are discussing a trip in a compartment on a train, what are they really discussing?
Jon Paul Gates: Sex. It’s a scene of seduction on both parts. Brack is trying to seduce Hedda and Hedda is trying to seduce Brack. It is very cleverly done. Who would have thought describing a train journey could be so erotic.

For more details on Jon Paul Gates please check out: http://www.jonpaulgates.com/
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