Pittsburgh Fringe 2025

Dr. Glas

Daniel Gerroll

Genre: One Person Show, Theatre

Venue: Bloomfield Garfield Activity Center

Festival: Pittsburgh Fringe

Low Down

Review

It is with much gratitude that I was able to see this remarkable one man show, Dr. Glas. It was performed by the highly accomplished actor Daniel Gerroll. Daniel has quite a long list of impressive roles he has played in the past, some in film and tv and quite a few in theatre. This show is no exception to his stellar performances that he has performed in the past.

I thought that Doctor Glas was an amazing piece of literature and was brilliantly brought to life by the actor portraying him. It’s concise and gets to the point.

The show was originally a book written by the Swedish author Hjalmar Salderberg, first published in 1905 in Stockholm. It is written as the diary of Dr. Tyko Gabriel Glas, a physician who struggles  with issues of love, infidelity, abortion and assisted death and murder.

The themes were surely controversial when the book was published in 1905, and one can feel the complexity of the situation throughout the show with the actor showing himself struggle with all of these issues.

You see the doctor as a lonely person finding himself philosophizing about life. The fact that he supports abortion or euthanasia, and even murder, raises the question of whether he truly values the sanctity of life.

The play tells the story of Dr. Tyko Glas, a lonely physician in Stockholm. The plot centers around his growing obsession with a married woman, Helga Gregorius, who is trapped in an unhappy marriage to Reverend Gregorius, an older man who she finds repulsive. Helga confides in Dr. Glas, seeking help to avoid her husband’s unwanted sexual advances.

As Dr. Glas becomes increasingly infatuated with her, his moral boundaries begin to blur. He decides to help Helga by secretly giving the reverend pills that he knows will be fatal. These are pills he initially kept to use on himself but conveniently decided a better use for them. He rationalized ending the reverend’s life as an act of mercy.

After secretly administering the fatal pills to Reverend Gregorius, Dr. Glas is left to grapple with the aftermath. Though the reverend’s death appears natural and Dr. Glas is never suspected, he finds no fulfillment or happiness.

Helga, the woman for whom he committed the crime, shows no interest in him. Instead, she quickly moves on with her lover, leaving Dr. Glas disillusioned and alone. The play ends with him in a state of emotional isolation, tormented by guilt and the realization that his desperate act of passion and perceived mercy has only deepened his loneliness.

The conclusion underscores the novel’s themes of moral ambiguity, unrequited love, and the emptiness of seeking meaning through transgression.

Delivering a one-man play is no small feat, yet Daniel carried the entire production with breathtaking skill, unwavering presence, and raw emotional power.

Throughout the performance, he shifted between vulnerability and intensity, portraying a character with such depth that it felt as though we were witnessing a fully inhabited, living soul. His command of the stage was magnetic—whether through subtle gestures or piercing monologues, he held the room captivated.

What made this performance truly extraordinary was the actor’s remarkable ability to convey complex emotions with authenticity. With nothing but his voice, expression, and body language, he transported the audience through a range of emotions—anguish, hope, despair, and even fleeting moments of humor. Every pause was deliberate. His performance was not just technically flawless but deeply human, making the character’s struggles feel achingly real.

This was more than a play—it was an experience, brought vividly to life by an unforgettable performance. Daniel delivered a masterclass in acting, leaving the audience deeply moved. This is a performance that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Published April 2, 2025 by Sueanne Zoratto