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The Spectator
"The Learned Ladies": A 17th-Century Soap Opera on Hamilton's Main Stage
by Lily Gillespie '12Arts and Entertainment Editor
November 06, 2009
If one had to choose one genius of the confusing comedy, few would doubt it to be Molière. The Hamilton Theatre Department will be showcasing the work of this comedic genius in their adaptation of his play "The Learned Ladies"or "Les Femmes Savantes" en français. It is, at its core, a love story, as in most of Molière work, nothing is quite so simple.
The fair Henriette, played by Jordyn Taylor '12, has fallen in love with the young Clitandre, played by James Greisler '10, and wants to marry him.
However, as this is 1672, Henriette must also do her parents' bidding and marry according to their whims. Her father Chrysale, played by Colin Wheeler '11, wholeheartedly supports the union, but her stubborn and socially-conscious mother Philaminte, played by Victoria Haller '10, presents an obstacle. Philaminte would much rather see her lovely daughter married to the blustering academic Trissotin, played by Rouvan Mahmud '11, whose motives for expressing interest in the wealthy Henriette may be the result of empty pockets rather than a full heart.
Trissotin's already-large ego is further inflated by the twitterings of the three women who have become his followers: Philaminte, Henriette's sister Armande, played by Hannah Fazio '10, and her aunt Bélise, played by Shelley Hoy '10. In true Molière fashion, there are numerous comedic twists and turns as Henriette and Clitandre fight to make their way to the altar, but all's well with a little bloodshed.