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Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) will celebrate the holidays with the imaginative and radiant Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, from Nov. 28 to Dec. 23 at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre at Liberty Hall, according to Artistic Director Sean Daniels and Executive Director Bonnie J. Butkas.
At the end of Pride and Prejudice, heroine Lizzie invites her sisters to spend the holidays at her new home, Pemberley. Gunderson (I and You, Silent Sky at MRT) and Melcon used that invitation as a springboard to create a sequel.
Bridget Kathleen O’Leary (Ripe Frenzy at New Repertory Theatre and Grand Concourse at SpeakEasy Stage) directs Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, the fourth most produced play in America this year and “a holiday delight – wonderful wit, clever and exhilarating,” according to the Huffington Post.
This lush production delights with elegant costumes, sparkling humor, and holiday spirit. Christmas at Pemberley revisits the Bennet sisters and features plain, bookish sister Mary, who spends her days dreaming of independence and hoping to find a love of her own. The Chicago Tribune describes the play as “delicious . . . highly entertaining, the kind of thing multiple generations can enjoy together.”
The cast includes Alexis Bronkovic (Silent Sky at MRT) as Elizabeth Darcy; Vichet Chum (KNYUM at MRT) as Arthur de Bourgh; Amanda Collins (The Island of Slaves at The Orfeo Group) as Mary Bennet; Veronika Duerr (Going to See the Kid at MRT) as Anne de Bourgh; Kaite Grindeland (Richard III at Arts Emerson) as Lydia Wickham; Victoria Grace (Silent Sky at MRT) as Jane Bingley; Jesse Hinson (Moonchildren at Berkshire Theatre Festival) as Fitzwilliam Darcy; and Shawn K. Jain (Charlotte’s Web at A.R.T.) as Charles Bingley.
In addition to O’Leary, the creative team includes James F. Fenton (Silent Sky, Abigail/1702 at MRT) as Scenic Designer; Linda Ross (Second Stage Theatre, Playwright’s Horizons) as Costume Designer; Brian J. Lilienthal(Little Orphan Danny, KNYUM at MRT); and David Remedios (Murder for Two, The Royale at MRT) as Sound Designer. Maegan Passafume serves as Production Stage Manager.
For tickets to Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Nov. 28-Dec. 23, or subscriptions, visit www.mrt.org or contact the MRT Box Office at 978-654-4678. Subscriptions for any three shows start at only $73 (Previews, Zone C seating).
