Senior class travels to see ‘Pride and Prejudice’

The senior class traveled to Paducah, Kentucky Thursday March 2 to see Aquila Theatre’s production of “Pride and Prejudice”. The play lasted around 55 minutes an featured six actors/actresses, most of them playing more than one part. 

According to The Carson Center’s website,  “Aquila Theatre will bring this classic thrillingly to life with its signature passion, energy, and visual flair”. 

 The audience consisted of several schools from surrounding areas such as Franklin County. The overall audience reaction indicated that they enjoyed the show.

“My favorite actor was the man who played Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s aunt,” senior Maren Russell said. “However, I also really enjoyed Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy and how they were able to make their characters seem so in sync and believable.” 

The actors and actresses are also performing “Julius Caesar” with many of them having multiple roles in each show. The cast hosted a short Q and A session at the end of the production, allowing audience members to ask any questions they had. 

“I asked the actors how many characters they played and who they played for ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Julius Caesar,’ their show that they also travel with,” Russell said, “Their responses were surprisingly high, with one actor playing at least six roles, both on and off stage, for Pride and Prejudice.”

The Aquila Theatre group is a traveling agency consisting of actors all over the world.

“Aquila Theatre Company was founded in London by Peter Meineck in 1991 with a production of Aeschylus’s “Agamemnon” at the Bridge Lane Theatre in London before touring in the United States to a few universities,” the Carson Center website said.

The company is now one of the most well known groups to travel the United States and produces multiple plays and workshops.

“Aquila is now one of the foremost producers of classical theater in the United States, visiting 50 – 60 American cities per year with a program of two plays, workshops, and educational programming, and is under the Artistic Directorship of Desiree Sanchez since 2012,” the Aquila Theatre website said. 

The production of “Pride and Prejudice” was carefully written, choreographed and carried out to make for a successful show. 

“The actors were very talented and it surprised me how diverse their backgrounds were and how some of them were from different countries such as England and Canada,” Russell said.