The final mainstage show of the year will be Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.
The show will be at 8 p.m. Dec. 6-8 and at 2 p.m Dec. 8 and 9 in the Burg Theater and will be directed by Matthew Sipress, associate production manager and company manager of Lyric Theatre. The play is a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but instead of focusing on “Liz Bennet,” it focuses on “Mary Bennet” and her finding love during Christmas.
Walker Northcutt, acting senior and “Mr. Darcy” in the play, said the show is about Mary growing into her own person.
“It’s just kind of about her journey of becoming her own person and her own woman and finding love through that,” he said.
Alison Sloan, acting junior and “Lizzie Bennet” in the play, said the show is a tribute to Mary.
“I think it’s mainly a tribute to Mary’s life and the fact that she was an ‘underrated’ character,” she said. “It really focuses and sheds a light more on her and who she is and her finding love and her finding who suits her.”
Northcutt said he thinks the show was chosen as a break from more politically charged shows.
“I personally think the show was chosen just because a lot of the shows we do here, especially in the current climate, are very politically charged or have a lot of themes regarded to what’s going currently going on in the real world,” he said. “I think this is just kind of a good way to take a break from that and let people enjoy a cute Christmas show.”
Sloan said the rehearsals focus mainly on the accuracy of accents and posture popular in the nineteenth century.
“We are so British, it’s crazy,” she said. “We’re really, really trying to stay true to accents and the time period, so all of the women have been rehearsing in stays, and the men have been researching posture that men would have in 1811. It’s awful, but it’s so fun.
Brayson Williams, acting junior and “Arthur de Bourgh” in the play, said Sipress is a great director.
“He is an absolute gem and just so much fun to be around,” he said. “He has this unique way of directing that I am inexperienced with, and he is very much focused around playing with the construct of characters.”
Sipress said he is very excited for the show and wants everyone to come.
“It’s a super charming show, and I highly recommend it,” he said. “Even if you don’t know the characters from Pride and Prejudice, if you’ve never seen the movie or if you’ve never read the book, you’ll still enjoy it.”
Tickets for the show can be purchased in advance at okcu.edu/main/tickets or through the ticket office in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Center.
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