Theater company performs Jane Austen’s Emma
Long before Alicia Silverstone tasted fame as Cher Horowitz, Jane Austen wrote the story of a girl named Emma. Director Amy Heckerling transformed that tale into the 1995 hit film Clueless.
Now, an area group will do the same with Austen’s work. On Saturday and May 10, the Ushers Ferry Historical Society of Cedar Rapids’ Parlour Theater Company will perform a theatrical version of the 1815 novel Emma. The show will begin at 7 p.m. both days at the Old Capitol Senate Chamber. Admission is free.
“[Emma] was a great choice because it is a fun story,” said society education coordinator Darrin Crow. “It is a fairly familiar piece of Jane Austen but not quite so well known as, say, Pride and Prejudice.”
Emma deals with a romantic spiderweb liinking the protagonist, her new friend Harriet, a farmer named Mr. Martin, and Mr. Elton, the town’s preacher.
“Emma is a play that isn’t done quite as often as others,” said Ann Cejka, the program coordinator for Ushers Ferry Historical Society.
The Parlour Theater company has performed historical pieces of literature for approximately 10 years. The choice to house a production of Emma at the Old Capitol made a lot of sense, because the museum is also featuring an exhibit on female British authors, including Jane Austen.
Usually, the troupe stages seven or eight programs annually. In the past, the company has performed the works of Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, and Orson Welles.
“Basically, we’re featuring all 19th-century authors and people who tend to be forgotten about,” Cejka said. “That’s our mission at the Parlour Theater, to resurrect some old forgotten gems.”
Since the June 2008 flood destroyed the 10-acre historical village, located in northeastern Cedar Rapids, the Historical Society has worked with other area organizations to continue its mission of preserving the past.
“Being able to perform at Old Capitol is really exciting for us,” Crow said. “The people at the Old Capitol Museum are terrific folks, and they run a great museum, so we felt very privileged to get to work with them on the project.”
Following the performance, Cejka, the cast members, and those working at the museum’s British female authors exhibit will discuss Austen. Audience members are welcome.
Cejka pointed to the story’s lead character as one of her favorite elements.
“It’s a good show, it’s a good story, it’s funny,” she said. “The thing that I kind of like about Emma is that she’s a character for a main character — she’s a character that no one could possibly like except for the author.”
comments powered by Disqus
