Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE), the professional Equity theater company in residence at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), presents “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley” by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, directed by Managing Artistic Director Emerita Connie Canaday Howard*+, Thursday, Nov. 14 – Sunday, Dec. 15. Mayhem and silliness abound when the elegance of the upstairs (masters and family) and the intriguing lives of the downstairs (servants) collide during the festive season. There will be a preview at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14. Press opening is 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15. There is no show Nov. 28 and added a 3 p.m. matinee Nov. 30.
As the events of “Miss Bennet” unfold upstairs at Pemberley, during the same celebration, the servants below find themselves in the midst of a different holiday scandal. An unwelcome visitor has arrived in the middle of the night disrupting holiday preparations – George Wickham, Lydia’s incorrigible husband and Mr. Darcy’s sworn enemy. “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley” is the follow up to BTE’s 2023 hit production of "Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley” and the second in the trilogy.
Three actors from last year’s production of “Miss Bennett” — Robert Hunter Bry, Paige Klopfenstein and Danielle Kerr — will be reprising their characters from last year’s production, which will be extra fun for those who caught last year’s "Miss Bennett" production. Aly Greaves Amidei+^ who recently received a Jeff Award for her “Miss Bennett” costumes, returns to costume “The Wickhams,” as well.
“Miss Bennet” and “The Wickhams” originated as a continuation of Jane Austen’s novel, “Pride and Prejudice.” The sequel to “Miss Bennet,” “The Wickhams” premiered in November 2018 at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis, Minn., and had its Chicago debut at the Northlight Theater in Skokie, Ill. in November 2019. WTTW theater reviewer Hedy Weiss says of “The Wickhams,” “The play’s dialogue has a snap, crackle, and pop energy and a playful feminist spirit,” and The Chicago Sun-Times calls “The Wickhams” a “delicious bonbon of a play.”
“I’m very excited about directing BTE’s production of ‘The Wickhams’,” says Canaday Howard*+. It introduces important situations and subjects, like “Downton Abbey” or “Upstairs Downstairs,” but also has laughter, heart and holiday cheer. Audiences don’t have to have seen last year’s production of ‘Miss Bennett’ nor do they have to be an expert in the world of Jane Austen to enjoy this holiday theatrical treat.”
The cast features Kelli Walker+ (Mrs. Reynolds), Beck Damron (Brian), Jamila Joiner* (Cassie), Robert Hunter Bry (Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy), Paige Klopfenstein (Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy), McGuire Price (George Wickham) and Danielle Kerr (Lydia Wickham).
Director is Connie Canaday Howard*+. The design team includes Ricard Penrod and Jacqueline Penrod ^ (Scenic Design), Aly Greaves Amidei +^ (Costume Design), Conchita Avitia (Lighting Design), Christopher Kriz +^ (Composer and Sound Design), Isa Noe (Properties Design), Neil Massey (SAFD Member) (Violence Director). Stage Manager is Caitlin I. Quinn*. Assistant Stage Manager is Vinny Scanio. Emily Sheehan is Student ASM (BTE Scholar).
Tickets
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) presents “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley” by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, directed by BTE Ensemble member Connie Canaday Howard*+ at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Nov. 14 – Dec. 15. There will be a preview 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 14. Press opening is 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 15. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Thursday – Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. There is no show Nov. 28 and an added 3 p.m. matinee Nov. 30.
There is an ASL performance at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5.
Tickets are $44. For tickets or more information visit www.AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000. The Box Office is open noon – 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and two hours prior to performance. Please note: this play contains adult themes and language.
Related Events:
· Pre-show discussion with director and designers Thursday, Nov. 14 at 6:45 p.m. in MAC Room 140
· Post-show discussion with director, actors and crew Friday, Nov. 22, in the Playhouse Theatre.
About Buffalo Theatre Ensemble
The mission of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble is to provide a forum in which artists, scholars, writers, students and community members explore new ideas and provocative issues through the production of quality theater for the enjoyment of its audiences. Since 1986 BTE has staged more than 125 productions. The Artistic Staff for BTE includes Amelia Barrett+* (Interim Managing Artistic Director), Daniel Millhouse* (Interim Associate Artistic Director) and Bryan Burke+* (Business Manager).
BTE Ensemble members are Aly Renee Amidei^, Robert Jordan Bailey*, Amelia Barrett*, Bryan Burke*, Rebecca Cox, Lisa Dawn, Nick DuFloth, Jon Gantt, Connie Canaday Howard*, Christopher Kriz^, Laura Leonardo Ownby, Michael W. Moon, Kurt Naebig*, Galen G. Ramsey*, William “Sandy” Smillie, Kelli Walker and Norm Woodel. For more information about BTE, visit www.btechicago.com.
*Denotes member of Actors’ Equity; +Denotes member of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble; ^Denotes member of United Scenic Artists
Buffalo Theatre Ensemble is partially supported and funded by generous grants from Arts DuPage, Choose DuPage, College of DuPage Foundation, The Norm Woodel Inspiration Fund, the DuPage Foundation, Benevity, Illinois Arts Council Agency and the generous support of the College of DuPage Trustees and the McAninch Arts Center Staff.
About The MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), the outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. For more information visit www.AtTheMAC.org.
Share the Spirit of the Holiday
Nov. 14 - Dec. 21 the MAC Giving Tree located in the MAC lobby is accepting food donations for COD Fuel Pantry and People's Resource Center.
Playwright Biographies
Lauren Gunderson is one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, topping the list three times. Her incredible talent includes two dozen successfully produced plays as well as nine 10-minute plays. She has won a variety of awards including the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for “You and I” and “The Book of Will,” the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, to name a few. Being a co-writer as well, Gunderson wrote the "Christmas at Pemberley” trilogy with Margot Melcon as well as “The Half-Life of Marie Curie” which premiered off-Broadway. Caring deeply about activism within the theater community and beyond, Gunderson has also written plays that bring awareness to relevant topics and issues. For example, her play “The Taming” explores the role of women in politics, and “Silent Sky” and “Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight” highlight achievements of historical women in science.
Margot Melcon is an accomplished playwright, dramaturg, and arts administrator where she has notably co-written with Gunderson on the “Christmas at Pemberley” trilogy and consults with various playwrights. As an arts administrator, she utilized her dramaturg skills and assisted with over 30 productions—including 6 premieres—while she served as the Director of New Play Development at Marin Theatre Company. Melcon has developed plays with the Kennedy Center, TheatreWorks, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, among many other remarkable foundations.