A fresh look at one of literature’s favorite matchmakers, Emma by playwright Kate Hamill opens in the NIU Stevens Building’s O’Connell Theatre, Friday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. Other 7:30 p.m. performances follow on October 17, 22 and 23, with 2 p.m. matinees October 18 and 24. Tickets are available online at go.niu.edu/arts-events. NIU students are admitted free of charge with a reserved ticket.
The production is directed by Melanie Keller, who has also directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream at NIU in 2023.
Theatrical Rights Worldwide describes Hamill’s take on Jane Austen’s Emma as, “Emma Woodhouse is clever, educated, and energetic… and in imminent danger of going mad with idleness. In a time when respectable ladies are expected to sit quietly at home, she desperately needs projects—and prides herself on matchmaking, much to the chagrin of her friend Mr. Knightley. But where Emma’s considerable energies focus, screwball comedy follows… A fresh feminist take on a treasured classic, this Emma breaks down convention, expectation, and even the fourth wall with vibrant comic flair—leading audiences ‘forward, onward, and upward!'”
Emma stars Bachelor of Fine Art acting majors Nya Warner as Emma, Kyan Muhammad as Mr. Knightley, Rose Jimenez as Harriet Smith, Mosi Weinberg as Mr. Woodhouse, Kaja Pusara as Mrs. Weston, Rio Christen as Robert Martin, Michael Kocher as Mr. Elton, and Lyssa Ramirez as Jane Fairfax.
