1. Dollhouse
Author: Rebecca Gillman
By: Khushbu Bhakta, Angela Carrington, Amanda Diaz,
and Maria Sifuentes

2. Director

3. Nora Helmer
• She will be played by Rachel McAdams. I chose
this actor, because she can play a wife really
well, and her character can be carefree, like from
the love movies she been in like, About Time,
and also the Notebook. But she also has this
fierce materialistic side to her, which lets her use
her physical appearance to manipulate others;
an example of this is when she plays in Mean
Girls.
• The main character of the performance, she is a
wife and mother of the home. Nora is also the
main problem of the story, since she has a
careless need to shop and spend money, and lies
in order to not get in trouble. Nora’s personality
is very two-faced and she can’t seem to get
herself together when all her lies start to
unravel.

4. Terry Helmer
• Male lead, Played by Joseph Morgan. Reason why I
chose this actor is because he does really well at
playing a rude arrogant personality, like the
characters he plays in a television show he stars in
called Vampire Diaries and also the film Immortals.
That can also be seen as the leader of the group.
• Terry is the man of the Helmer home and is also
the only one that work in the family. He works in a
bank and actually was promoted in the story to a
higher position. On the outside he was a strong
man that can bring home the money, but he is a
weak man that cannot live without the company of
those he has taken for granted. This is proven in
the end of the story when Nora almost walks out.

5. Raj Patel
• Raj- is a male character that will be played by Irrfan
Khan. This actor has been features where he would
play a very creepy suspicious character that had
nothing but bad going on, like in The Amazing Spider-
man
• Raj is known to be the antagonist of the story. He had
a very complicated time in college when it came to
fitting in, so he would change a few things about
himself, just to fit in. His rage for not being the one
part of the team, Raj decided to use his brain to get
himself the success and popularity he wanted. But
the way he got there was sketchy, and in the story
began to backfire. He blackmails Nora, since he was
one that gave her the enormous loan that she needed
and try to make Terry’s life more miserable than ever.
But throughout it all, there was one person that
understood him, and that was Kristine.

6. Kristine Linde
• She will be played by Lucy Liu. Reasons why I
chose this actress to play this character, is
because Lucy does really well in acting out parts
that are mature in situations, like she would in
Charlie’s Angel’s. She also would look good as a
working woman.
• She is the best friend of the lead. Kristine is the
kind of character that cares about what everyone
else is doing and wants to stay true to who she
was. Kristine is the one that Nora turns to for
help, and reveals just the kind of person she
really is. Kristine cares for Nora, but believes that
there are better ways to make money. And that is
with hard work. In a way Kristine is the hero of
the conflict. In the end of the story, she is the one
that stops the love of her life, Raj from making
the biggest mistake of his life and saves Nora
from getting into a deeper hole than she needs to
be.

7. Pete
• He would be play by James Franco. James
Franco is a character in most of his movies, and
that is who I see Pete.
• Pete is known to being Terry’s right hand man
and best friend. Pete is a humor, but the kind
soul that everyone that most people turn to.
Pete is, in a way, the puppy of the story. He
would always be there for his two friends, Terry
and Nora. But when it came down to true
feelings, Pete had his eyes set on Nora. He
loved her and wanted her for himself, but he
wasn’t the guy to get the girl. He is also a
ticking time bomb. At times he would let all the
nonsense around him go and assume that it
was all okay, but then later on, he would
explode and let it all he felt out. This sort of
action is shown in act 3, after the New Year’s
party.

8. Theme
The theme of the play is in money ways is money
power. In the story, the husband and wife are driven
into a tense situation of distrust toward each other.
Then there is the situation between the two new
found lovers, Kristine and Raj. Raj wanted to be
successful and rich, so that he would be able to
impress Kristine into falling for him. When in the end
there was no need, since she was already in love
with him anyways, and she believed in making her
own money anyways. Also there seemed to be a
major situation of bankruptcy in the story as well in
three difference situations. The power of money is
not shown to be a positive theme in the story and in
the end can prove to tear a family apart.

9. Location of Performance
• Since the story is set in more than one area, it would be
best if the performance was taken place in a Proscenium
stage, since there would not only be more space, but
also a frame to limit as well. A Black-box theatre would
be too small for this play and there would need to scene
change every 15 minutes. Also the frame would keep
everyone facing the stage, and not on anything else.

10. The Main SPINE and STYLE
• The main Spine for this
play is to keep the
secrets hidden. Reason
why is because,
through out the whole
play, the Nora is trying
to keep her debt
problem from Terry.
And this brings some of
their friends into the
problem as well.
• The main Style of the play
is a realistic comedy that
has some Absurddism in
it. The money situation
that goes on through out
the play can be relatable
to most of the audience.
While the dialogue and
actions between the
characters is very funny as
well. The whole situation
in keep this situation from
the husband seems very
unlikely though. To keep
such a lie to the end and
not care about the people
you hurt.

11. Summary
Take place in the 20th century, 2004 Chicago, during the
holiday season, Dollhouse is about a married couple of
three children that struggle to keep their money in order
in a condo home that they were barely able to pay for.
With money being tight, the house wife Nora Helmer is
having a hard time the holidays as festive as they usually
are, and the husband is trying to work as much as he can
to make sure he can provide for the family. Meanwhile,
old friends from college come back and make things a lot
more complicated for the Helmer couple. Nora has a
debt she needs to pay off to an friend, Raj Patel, that
Terry does not know about and Terry is trying make sure
he can keep his new position as his job. With Raj
breathing down both their necks, Nora and Terry show
their true colors as an all American family.

12. Setting

13. Setting
• The family lives in a condo located in the
Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. The
house has a open floor plan with the kitchen
opening into the living room and dining area.
The home has fireplace, and a leather sofa and
chair sit in front of the fireplace. The house
also have built-in bookcases, and some books,
and lot of photos. There is a Christmas tree
place in the corner with lots of gifts.

14. Fireplace
Kitchen

16. Location: Chicago

17. Lights

18. This play takes play during two different times of day.
Act I and III take place during night
time. Act I around dinner time the
Saturday before Christmas and Act III
around midnight New Years Eve
Act II takes place in the afternoon
around lunch time on December
30th
I would use the lights in the scene
shown above during the acts taking
place at night. The white light seems
very fitting for inside of a house
while the blue background signifies
the outside setting.
During Act II I would like to use the
light colors in this the picture above.
Of course it would be behind a set
which would make it less bright and
make it look like natural sunlight. I
would also use the same white light
from the night time picture.

19. During more serious, emotional scenes
During the scenes between Raj
and Nora when he threatens her I
would like to fade the lights
around them just slightly so they
will be in a sort of faded spot
light which will bring everyone's
attention to them. Bringing all
attention to them will trigger
emotions from the audience
making them feel the tension and
the seriousness of the
conversation being held. They
will be able to connect with the
actors and the story better.

20. Costumes
]

21. Costume Normal
Nora Helmer Terry Helmer
clothes from target and TJ Max and
Marshalls
Suite and tie or
sweats and jeans

22. Normal Costume
Pete Kristine Linde

23. Costume New Year’s
party
Nora Helmer Terry Helmer

24. Costume New Year’s
party
Pete