Continuing this weekend and next, the Jefferson City Home Educators Teen Club is bringing "Pride and Prejudice" to the stage in what the director calls a faithful adaption of the classic novel.
The Teen Club, made up of teenagers who are home-schooled in the Jefferson City area, will present "Pride and Prejudice" at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. today, at 7 p.m. April 22, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 23 at the Pawley Theater in the Martin Luther King Building at Lincoln University.
Director Stephanie Smith said about 37 teens are part of the cast and another 12 are part of the crew. She said the group overwhelmingly voted for "Pride and Prejudice" out of the three options presented and has been very excited to perform.
"It's a faithful adaption of Jane Austen's novel," Smith said. "It's very true to the book, to the story."
Smith said more than 200 families are members of the Jefferson City Home Educators, which is a home-school support group, and they work to get a part of every teen who auditions for the production.
"We feel like if they have enough to courage to come and audition then we want them to be able to have a part," Smith said, noting she wasn't sure if they would always be able to continue that policy as it limits the scripts they can choose from."It does present everyone with the opportunity to be able to grow."
Smith said they have students who may want to have a part, but with only a few lines to ease the pressure of the performance and being able to accommodate that helps allow each student to become more comfortable with performing over time.
"Many students that do come in at their very young years quaking in their boots actually end up being able to handle major roles," Smith said. "It's not just really about theater. ... There is a tremendous amount of personal growth that occurs and learning how to work with people."
Tickets for the show are $6, and those interested should contact [email protected] or 573-301-4908. Smith said group discounts are available in advance and noted that reservations are not required but highly encouraged, as the shows often fill up fast and they would like to accommodate as many as possible.