News Release: 11/5/2025

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kate Foreman, Watershed Public Theatre
watershedtheatre@gmail.com
 
Presidential Hall Hosts A Doll’s House
The classic drama by Henrik Ibsen will be presented by Watershed Public Theatre November 14-23
(COLUMBIA, TN) October 30, 2025 – It's Christmastime in Norway, 1880. Nora Helmer is at home in A Doll's House. Watershed Public Theatre's latest play presents the paradox of society versus the individual. Nora (portrayed by Emily Palmer) tries to keep her family functioning but ultimately gets set up for failure.
 
This lively drama will have two weekends of showtimes – November 14-23 – at Columbia's Polk Presidential Hall. It is not a conventional venue for live theatre, but this beautiful historic building is a perfect match for the 1800s setting of A Doll's House. The intimate space will help the audience feel as though they are sitting in the Helmers' home watching the story unfold.
 
A Doll's House will be directed by Watershed Public Theatre's founder and Producing Artistic Director, Kate Foreman. The Henrik Ibsen play was formative in her theatre education; Kate was immediately impacted by the main character, Nora, who has an extraordinary awakening in a matter of only a few days. 
 
"She's flawed, fascinating, and complex," says Emily Palmer of her character Nora. For Emily, theatre is a chance to step into the lives of someone in a vastly different circumstance, an opportunity for empathy. Nora in A Doll's House in particular, beckons the audience to ponder difficult questions and, like all good art, extends through generations to spark a conversation.
 
Emily Palmer has acted in numerous television shows and movies, including Cobra Kai and Lansky. Though she has been involved with the volunteer side of Watershed Public Theatre (WPT) for quite some time, A Doll's House will be her first performance for the company. 
 
Emily joins a small but mighty cast of WPT staples: Max Fleischhacker, Reid Gregory, JR Knowles and Christian Randell. Some combination of the four actors have appeared in the last several WPT plays, and the on-stage chemistry they share is venerable and strong. JR Knowles not only appears regularly in Watershed shows, he is the director of the WPT Apprentice Company, which develops and trains newcomers to be a part of both cast and crew for live theatre productions. The cast for A Doll's House will be rounded out by two actors training with the 2025-26 Apprentice Company who will be making their debut: welcome to the WPT stage Aubrey Cavitt and Jayden Mcfatridge.
 
This theatre presentation at the Polk Presidential Hall will be a rare and momentous event. The limited seating of the venue means any of the shows may sell out, so advanced purchases are recommended. Tickets, which can be purchased online at WatershedPublicTheatre.org, are $25 for general admission, $22 for seniors, and $15 for students. Showtimes are November 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 7pm, and November 16 and 23 at 3pm. All performances take place at Polk Presidential Hall, 810 S. High Street, Columbia, TN.
 
Mission Statement:
At Watershed Public Theatre, we believe that theatre is the ultimate collaborative art and work to bring together arts professionals, volunteers, students and patrons to share in the illumination that only live performance can provide. We maintain our focus on nurturing community and practicing social and environmental responsibility while striving for the highest quality of artistic and educational experiences.
For more details or to join WPT’s mailing list, visit watershedpublictheatre.org, email info@watershedtheatre.org, call 931-797-6551 or visit the Facebook page: Facebook.com/WatershedTheatre.

Photograph: Emily Palmer (left) plays Nora Helmer opposite Max Fleischhacker (right) as Torvald Helmer in Watershed Public Theatre’s production of A Doll’s House, running November 14-23 at Columbia’s Polk Presidential Hall.