BABYLON, NY — There is a reason Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler is often hailed as the “female Hamlet.” It is a psychological labyrinth, a study of a woman at war with a world that refuses to let her breathe. This May, the Modern Classics Theatre Company of Long Island brings this searing masterpiece to the BACCA Arts Center, proving that while the costumes may change, the desperation for agency remains timeless.
True to their Modern Classic Mission, the company—now the official theatre company in residence at BACCA—continues its commitment to producing “seldom seen” works on Long Island. By utilizing innovative storytelling and non-traditional casting, they ensure that 19th-century narratives speak directly to a 2026 audience.
The Players in the “Pressure Cooker”
To bring a “psychological adventure” of this magnitude to life, Director John and his ensemble have leaned into the grounded, relatable conflicts of the characters. We sat down with the cast to pull back the curtain on the residents of the Tesman villa.
The Inner Circle
- Elle Lucksted (Hedda Gabler): Carrying the weight of the titular role, Lucksted describes the production as “suffocating.” To her, Hedda’s iconic pistols represent decisiveness. “You have to be pretty sure about what you are doing before you shoot,” she notes.
- Paul DeFilippo (George Tesman): Playing Hedda’s husband, DeFilippo finds the tragedy in George’s academic insulation. “He’s so used to being taken care of it’s hard for him to see when things go wrong,” he explains.
- Alexa Roosevelt (Thea Elvstead): Often seen as Hedda’s foil, Roosevelt finds Thea’s strength in her “survival” instincts, noting that her courage to leave her husband is a “catapult” toward a better life.
The Catalysts of Chaos
- Renatto Corneja (Eilert Lovborg): Corneja sees the bond between Lovborg and Hedda as a shared desire to “break the shackles” of society—a rebellion that ultimately turns destructive.
- Joseph Cavagnet (Judge Brack): Tapping into a “sinister, predatory” energy, Cavagnet leans into the intellectual sparring that makes Brack the only man who truly understands Hedda’s game.
The Domestic Guardians
- Candace Wilkerson (Aunt Julie) & Erica Jeudy (Berte): Representing the domestic world Hedda finds repulsive, Wilkerson approaches Hedda with “all the love of her being,” while Jeudy’s Berte remains loyal to the Tesman legacy, despite the tension that “talks” to her throughout the house.
A Classic for the Modern Soul
Why should a 2026 audience head to Babylon for a play written in 1891? The cast is unanimous: the themes haven’t aged a day.
“The performances are so grounding and strong that the difficulty [of a classic play] won’t even exist,” says Erica Jeudy. “The conflict is so relatable to different forms of media right now.”
Renatto Corneja highlights the unique experience of the venue itself: “BACCA is a wonderful venue that gives an intimacy to these kinds of stories that you can’t get elsewhere.”
Whether you see Hedda as a “Hampton elitist” (as Joe Cavagnet imagines her today) or a “star of a Ryan Murphy show” (Erica Jeudy), the production promises a “moody,” “experimental,” and “serious” look at what happens when the power to choose is taken away.
Performance Details
- DATES: May 16 – May 31, 2026
- LOCATION: BACCA Arts Center, 149 N. Wellwood Ave, Babylon, NY 11704
- TICKETS: Available through the Modern Classics Theatre Company of Long Island.
Experience the “dance” of manipulation and the quest for liberation. Don’t miss the chance to see this “psychological adventure” live.
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