Local playwright debuts new show

Moorestown playwright Alex Wilkie’s new show “Trolls and Men” will debut at the Ritz Theatre Company in Haddon Township on Friday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. and will run through Sunday, Oct. 25.

“People tell me the play feels strikingly relevant because it tells how ordinary people respond when democracy and free expression come under pressure,” Wilkie said. “Julius Thoreson’s choice to resist through theater highlights the power of art to challenge propaganda and expose hypocrisy.”

Set in 1940s Norway, “Trolls and Men” follows Thoreson, the artistic director of the Trondheim Transformational Theatre, who uses his stage to resist the Nazi occupation. With help from his daughter and the resident acting troupe, Thoreson stages satirical reviews, sabotages German productions and thwarts Nazi control at every turn, despite warnings from an old friend turned fascist. The Nazis, ultimately, exact their revenge on Thoreson, but his courage and defiance inspire and strengthen the spirit of the Norwegian people. For Wilkie, “Trolls and Men” also looks at the personal cost of resistance. The character at the center of Wilkie’s play – Thoreson – risks not only his life, but his relationships, especially with a lifelong friend who has embraced fascism.

“That push and pull can be seen today where opposing political beliefs can break up communities and drive friends apart,” Wilkie said. “Even in defeat, Thoreson’s example inspires those around him and reminds contemporary audiences that cultural resistance, whether through art, speech or activism, can keep hope alive in the face of oppression.”

Wilkie has been writing plays since 1995. His short works have been staged at venues including the Heartland Theatre Company in Illinois, The Pennsylvania Playhouse, the Wilmington Drama League and at the City Theater Company. His one-act comedy “Harken to Me” was produced by the Playground Theatre Co. of Chelmsford, MA, in June. His two-act comedy “Heathens on the Beach” received full production at the Ritz Theatre in 2023. “Jimmy’s Return,” another two-act comedy of Wilkie’s, was staged last November by Seoul Players, an English language theatre in Seoul, South Korea, as part of their Ten-Minute Play Festival. He and his wife Janet, who’s also starring in “Trolls and Men,” have lived in Moorestown for more than 30 years.

Wilkie uses history as an inspiration or a backdrop for most of his plays. Six years ago, he and Janet visited Norway’s Resistance Museum. It was there that they learned about the writer’s strike of 1941 in Norway, when many actors were unwilling to perform after the Nazis took over broadcasting. Wilkie found that to be interesting, so he took a photo of the plaque. Three years ago, he was pondering new ideas and he came across that photo. He realized that he couldn’t write a play about a strike, since a strike is about not doing anything. It would’ve been difficult to create a conflict about something where nothing happens, Wilkie explained. He did some research and came across Henry Gleditsch, a Norwegian actor, director, theatre manager and playwright who was known as a defender of freedom of speech and the rights of the theatres during World War II.  Wilkie found Gleditsch’s bravery to be something that he could center a play around, and that’s how “Trolls and Men” came to be. He’s hopeful that those who watch his new show feel or understand its message of the independence of art and the ability to make art without political interference.

“The play shows how small acts of courage can ripple outward. In theater, it’s a whole group of different people – costume designers, lighting designers, set designers, directors, assistant directors, all the actors – so it’s a very collaborative medium and I don’t think there’s anything quite like it,” Wilkie said.

For tickets to “Trolls and Men,” visit www.ritztheatreco.org/trolls-and-men/.