Professor of Theatre Carole Bellini-Sharp directs Hamilton College students in Molière’s Les Femmes Savantes (The Learned Ladies), a satire on academic and cultural pretentiousness, for the Fall Theatre Production. Performance dates are Thursday, Nov. 5 – Saturday, Nov. 7, and Wednesday, Nov. 11 – Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. There is an additional performance on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m. All performances are in Minor Theater. Tickets are $5 for adults, and $3 for students and senior citizens.
The cast 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.
The story unfolds with the protagonists, Henriette and Clitandre, in love and wanting to marry. The couple runs into problems and the family becomes divided male against female when Henriette’s mother (Philaminte) 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. Trissotin, with his pseudo-intelligence and bad poetry, plays to Philaminte’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 cast 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.
The story unfolds with the protagonists, Henriette and Clitandre, in love and wanting to marry. The couple runs into problems and the family becomes divided male against female when Henriette’s mother (Philaminte) 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. Trissotin, with his pseudo-intelligence and bad poetry, plays to Philaminte’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.
