Dr. Jo Alice Blondin, president of Clark State College will host a free, pre-show lecture offering new perspectives into the classic novel: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin at 5:45 p.m., Tuesday, March 7, at the Clark State Performing Arts Center.
“Pride and Prejudice is one my favorite novels and represents the time period that I studied in graduate school: the ‘long 18th Century,’ which is 1660 through 1837,” said Blondin. “The timeframe is so varied, and the 1813 publication of Pride and Prejudice really serves as both a bookend to the 18th Century and signals the beginning of Romanticism and the 19th Century.”
Published in 1813, Austen's ultimate romantic comedy Pride and Prejudice has stood the test of time. Filled with unforgettable characters including Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, this sharp social satire has it all; wit, love and lots of dancing.
As the Bennet sisters try to navigate their way toward love and marriage, Austen humorously skewers the hypocrisies and absurdities of the English class system, and puts the thoughts and feelings of her women characters front and center.
Blondin said Pride and Prejudice is a beloved novel that inspires a great deal of ownership on the part of readers.
“I will humbly attempt to share some new perspectives on the characters’ motivations, particularly Elizabeth and Darcy’s,” she said. “This iconic love story may, after all, not be a love story at all rather a merging of mutually beneficial relationships and subversion of social norms.”
Aquila Theatre will bring this classic thrillingly to life with its signature passion, energy, and visual flair. The New Yorker says that “Aquila’s productions are beautifully spoken, dramatically revealing and crystalline in effect,” while DC Metro Arts described Aquila's production of Austen's Sense and Sensibility as 'Delightful - one of the joys of Aquila Theatre, a fun and lively version.' Artistic director Desiree Sanchez’s adaptation of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was described by The New York Theatre Guide as 'another piece of theatrical genius. Her direction is polished and laser sharp. She gets the maximum amount of potential out of every stage moment, has exceptional attention to detail, and is a demiurge of direction.'
The live stage performance of Pride and Prejudice will begin at 7 p.m. The Clark State Performing Arts Center is located at 300 South Fountain Avenue, Springfield. Tickets are $15-$40 (plus fees) and are available by calling the Box Office at 937.328.3874 or ordering tickets online at fhttps://pac.clarkstate.edu/shows/2022-2023-season/