NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Women take the lead on stage and behind the scenes when the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Theatre presents Kate Hamill’s “Pride and Prejudice” as a feature of this year’s Mainstage Series.
Based on the novel by Jane Austen, Hamill’s “Pride and Prejudice”
will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 18 through 22, in
W.M. Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building. The play is a fresh
and witty adaptation to Austen’s beloved 1813 novel, according to Scott
Shattuck, professor of theatre at SFA and the play’s director. Shattuck has
described the play as “a celebration of smart, strong independent young women”
who will not settle for the stereotypical choices history has forced on women.
Heather Samuelson, assistant professor and coordinator of dance in
the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science at SFA, is choreographer for
the play and said “Pride and Prejudice” was “always a favorite of mine.”
“Jane Austen was a pioneer in expressing through written
literature what was once taboo,” Samuelson said. “I feel that this play
demonstrates the struggles women of the 19th century endured – how families
were pieced together by monetary gain and how being an independent woman could
cause the demise of a family.”
However, the play also illustrates how some men were open to
uniting with an outspoken, independent woman, regardless of what it would do to
their reputation, she said.
“Through some aspects of this play, we begin to see similarities
that are still current in today’s society,” she said, “including the
segregation of families due to one’s deportment, elevated rank among siblings
by marital gain, and the level of importance determined by education and
maturity. This play has an underlying message for women, regardless of their
looks and rank, that one has to be strong and persevere.”
Bethany Trauger, senior theatre major from Gilmer and the play’s
assistant director, believes Austin’s novel “made great strides in giving its
main female character agency and control over her situation.”
“But this play takes that one step further by letting every female
character have complexities and motivations that were not clear in the book,”
she said. “Even the seemingly one-dimensional and stereotypically silly Mrs.
Bennet and Lydia are shown to be much more than what they seem. The play goes
to great lengths to show the different strengths that women can have, and I
hope that audiences see that in these familiar characters.”
As dramaturg for the play, Austin freshman Rose Collins said she
discovered in her research that playwright Hamill was “discouraged by the lack
of interesting roles for women in theater.”
“She was tired of going to auditions to try for [the part of a]
wife or girlfriend or prostitute,” Collins said, “so she began writing
adaptations for characters that she wanted to see herself and other women
portray. This adaptation says to me that there is still so much further for
women to go to be considered equals. But if we can look back and see how far
we’ve come and respect those who helped to pave the way to a more equal future,
then we should celebrate that.”
On the technical side of theatre, CC Conn, assistant professor of
theatre and lighting and sound designer for “Pride and Prejudice,” has
witnessed and experienced “historical gender inequity,” she said, adding the
reason for that, in part, could be that fewer women were drawn to lighting and
sound design. “But theatre, overall, like other professions, makes little
effort to help with the challenges of balancing work and family,” she said.
“As a professor I was able to have some flexibility in my hours
and in the need to incorporate my child into my work life,” Conn said.
“However, professionally, that is nearly impossible. And there are little to no
options for maternity leave situations, so young women assume they have to give
up their position to have a family. I had to fight my way through that maze of
obstacles. I would like to see theatres, entertainment companies and unions
find ways to be more family-centered about those choices and options, so women
can feel that they can maintain their career to some extent while having a
family, as well.”
An example of the kind of strong women the play advocates, Hamill
is an award-winning New York City-based actor/playwright whose work often
examines social and gender issues as well as the timeless struggle to reconcile
conscience and identity with social pressure. Passionate about creating new
feminist, female-centered classics, her stories center around complicated
women. She was named 2017’s Playwright of the Year by the Wall Street Journal.
She has been one of the 10 most-produced playwrights in the country three
seasons running, from 2017 to 2020, meaning in both 2017-18 and 2018-19, she
wrote two of the top 10 most produced plays.
Hamill had four world premieres scheduled in 2019-20, including
“The Scarlet Letter” at South Coast Repertory Theatre, Costa Mesa, California;
“Dracula” at Classic Stage Company Off-Broadway, New York City; “Prostitute
Play” at Cygnet Theatre, San Diego; and “Emma” at the world-renowned Guthrie
Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“Although women are prospering in today’s society, we still
haven’t reached gender equality,” Samuelson said. “Women still make
significantly less than men, even though they hold the same jobs.”
Samuelson said she hopes that the students involved in the SFA
presentation of “Pride and Prejudice” “understand how far we have come in
societal change, but also recognize and acknowledge how much more needs to be
done.”
The performing arts can be a great place for women to express
their individuality, as well as their passion and need to find equality, she
added.
“Whether it be through drama, art, music or dance, the performing
arts is an area where women can unite, create and advocate for their gender and
recruit others to find their individuality.”
Single
tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and non-SFA students and $7.50 for
youth. Tickets for SFA students are $5. For tickets or more information, call
the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.theatre.sfasu.edu.
