Rocky Mountain College’s Theatre Arts Department looks forward to its upcoming production of Pride and Prejudice. The play follows the Jane Austen storyline, but the playwright, Kate Hamill, brings new meaning to the characters and livens this classic with humor.
Performances of Pride and Prejudice will be held at Billings Studio Theatre, and admission is free, although donations are always welcome and appreciated. They have six shows, with opening night on November 4, and performances on November 5, 9, 10, 11, and 12, all of which begin at 7:30.
The play takes place at the turn of the 19th Century and follows the Bennet family. They have four daughters and no sons to inherit the family home and fortune. Instead, the girls must marry into wealth for any hopes of a secure future. The audience will follow the chaotic and funny experiences of the Bennets’ marriage qualms.
The story focuses on Lizzy Bennet, a sassy woman resolved to never marry, and Mr. Darcy, a proud man who continues to vex her. The two leads, RMC students Abigail Peterson and Cole Kirchen, are excited to be portraying these complex characters.
While the play follows the Austen plot line, Abigail Peterson refers to the script’s description that states, “this isn’t your grandmother’s Austen!”
“People know the story but it is different,” Peterson says, “it is new, it is fresh, it is fun, and then you have a really young cast that is so passionate about theatre.”
Peterson, a theatre major, states, “Theatre is just so magical, it is all the best things of art and creativity in one place.”
This production is also special for Peterson and Kirchen because this show is their first time cast as leads, and it is their first show at Rocky with a big cast. Peterson says “it is very refreshing to have so much passion and excitement for this art within the cast.”
Kirchen adds that he can watch every single member of the cast and be “wholly engaged because of their acting prowess.”
The 12 person cast includes Ella Arnold, Iciss Avila, Mariah Cathey, Kyle Fergus, Mikayla Harcourt, Cole Kirchen, Lily Kraft, Anna Mattie, Abigail Peterson, Itzu Romero, Owen Toledo, and Rosalyn Visser.
Other people working on the production include the theatre instructors, with Professor Jayme Green as the director and Professor Tim Gross as the technical director. In addition, alumni Melissa Cornett is the scenic designer.
There are also additional Rocky students stepping into various roles behind the scenes. Camilla Nusbaum is the stage manager, actor Cathey takes on a secondary role of choreographer, and Peterson assists with costumes along with playing the leading role.
Kirchen says enthusiatically, “We have a really talented group of thespians and I just cannot wait for everyone to see how much work and effort we put into making this production.”
Come support the Rocky Theatre Department by seeing Pride and Prejudice this and next weekend. Take in a good show, appreciate the arts, and laugh a lot!