2009 Fall Theatre Production
Carole Bellini-Sharp directs Hamilton College students in Molière's Les Femmes Savantes (The Learned Ladies, English translation by Richard Wilbur), a satire on academic and cultural pretentiousness for the Fall Theater Production. The story unfolds with the protagonists, Henriette and Clitandre, in love and wanting to marry. The couple run into problems and the family becomes divided male against female when Henriette's mother (Philaninte) takes exception to the union. Henriette's father (Chrysale) approves of the marriage, but her mother is enthralled by Trissotin, a foppish wit who is scheming to marry into a wealthy household. Trissotion, with his pseudo-intelligence and bad poetry, plays to Philaninte's obsession with learning and culture of the most pretentious kind. Henriette's aunt and older sister join the cause as Trissotin becomes the darling of the literary salon maintained by the three ladies. In the end,with the help of the maid Martine and Henriette's uncle Ariste, Trissotin is exposed, , thus clearing the path for true love to triumph.
The performance includes Jordyn Taylor '12 as Henriette, Amr Rouvan Mahmud '11 as Trissotin, Victoria Haller '10 as Philaminte, Colin Wheeler '11 as Chrysale, James Greisler '10 as Clitandre, Hannah Fazio '10 as Armande, Shelley Hoy '10 as Belise, John Allen '10 as Ariste, and Alison McLaughlin '11 as Martine. Performance dates are Thursday, Nov. 5 – Saturday, November 7and Wednesday, Nov. 11 – Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8 pm. There is an additional performance on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2 pm. All performances are in Minor Theater.
