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ASHLAND — “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler” is an irreverent, relevant theatrical romp that led its opening night audience on a journey to The Furnace (of creation) and back, fueled by huge gusts of laughter and an impressively literary script.

And in the best tradition of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, this romp has legs.

Playwright (and Coos Bay native son) Jeff Whitty conjures characters from Greek drama through television’s “CSI,” and his artistic and design teams — OSF Artistic Director Bill Rauch directs the show — make brilliant use of festival resources. Sets are inventive, costumes impeccable, and the actors are simply dazzling.

As soon as the chimes sound and the lights dim in the Angus Bowmer Theater, there are unmistakable signs of the fun to come. Playwright Henrik Ibsen’s formal portrait, hanging in front of velvet curtains, sprouts animated lips to deliver the usual announcements about cell phones and watch alarms, Jib-Jab style.

This is no Restoration comedy, and as Dorothy (who makes an appearance in the show) learns, we are not in Kansas anymore.

Whitty’s script (first produced in California in 2006) imagines what might be the fate of fictional characters, after the curtains have closed on their stories. In the case of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, domestic anguish leads to suicide. The offstage gunshot that ends Ibsen’s play marks the beginning of Whitty’s, as Hedda (Robin Goodrin Nordli) awakens on her bloodstained couch, groggy, confused, ignorant of who she is or what she has done.

She quickly learns that she is not alone, as she is soothed by husband George Tesman (Christopher DuVal) and their servant, who, in this purgatory of celebrity characters, is the recognizable and immediately winsome Mammy from “Gone With the Wind” (Kimberly Scott).

Clearly, those without an inkling of Ibsen are at no disadvantage with “Further Adventures.”

Hedda is tired of her drama; she wants to be happy for a change. But Hedda is doomed to forever play out her story, as long as the popularity of Ibsen’s script returns her to the stage. So, Hedda wants a rewrite and this is where Whitty’s script takes fire. He sends Hedda and Mammy (who doesn’t want to continue to live as a stereotype) on a brave and astonishing journey, as they seek their creators within The Furnace.

Aided by a bevy of characters from page, stage and screen, the women explore the Cul de Sac of the Tragic Women, the Dark Forest, and the Verdant Glade of the Christs. And although characters appear and disappear with a seemingly random abandon, we follow them with confidence, led by two iconic, flamboyantly homosexual guides, Steven and Patrick (Jonathan Haugen and Anthony Heald).

“The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler” is exciting theater. We are fascinated by Hedda and Mammy’s journey, even as we feel the stings of this bright, topical script. And we are delighted to follow these characters who speak for us all as they strive to become the vibrant, willful authors of their destiny.

Teri Albert reviews art and artists for The World. Comments on or story ideas for this column are welcome, and can be e-mailed to malbert@uci.net.

Tickets

Information about ticket availability for all OSF shows is available at http://www.osfashland.org, where online discounts are available. “Further Adventures” runs several times each week through Nov. 1. For more information, those interested can call OSF at (800) 219-8161.