Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley Program

COMMUNITY 2023/24 THEATRE SEASON

Miss Bennet

CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY A Jane Austen-esque Christmas by Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon

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Miss Bennet

CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY OPENING NIGHT SPONSOR:

DEC 15 & 16, 20–23, 2023 @ 7:30 PM MATINEES: DEC 16 & 23 @ 2:00 PM Time & Place: December, 1815. A drawing room and attached library of Pemberley, the grand estate of Mr. & Mrs. Darcy.

Running Time: Approximately 2.5 hours with one, 20-minute intermission.

FEATURING Mary Bennet Delaney Davis

Fitzwilliam Darcy Spencer Danek

Lydia Wickham Victoria Zator

Arthur De Bourgh Cameron Mckerchar

Jane Bingley Maria Van Herwaarden*

Anne De Bourgh Lydia Gunnik

Elizabeth Darcy Danielle Hackett

Charles Bingley Angel Duran-Heon

Jane Bingley (Understudy) Tiani Forster**

ARTISTIC TEAM Director Sarah Green

Lighting Designer Ken Hildebrandt

Sound Designer Elijah Kroeker

Stage Manager Alyssa Strauss

Costume Designer & Coordination Sarah Green & Audrey Boschmann

Props Designer Madison Willoughby

Set Designer Jeff Kiers

*Will perform the role of Mary Bennet at select performances. **Will perform the role of Jane Bingley at select performances.

Make-Up Designer Shannon Tauber Make-up Consultant Stephanie Degagne

Land Acknowledgement Gallery 7 Theatre’s mandate is to share stories that explore the relational, social, and spiritual aspects of the human experience with a vision towards hope, reconciliation, and redemption. In that spirit, we’d like to acknowledge we carry on our artistic endeavors on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sto:Lo people, Sema:th First Nation and Mathxwi First Nation and we are thankful for this opportunity. May there be healing and peace as we seek to build a stronger, respectful, and more unified community together.

Refreshments and snacks available in the lobby. Please finish your snacks and refreshments before returning to your seats. Only bottled water is allowed in the theatre. Thanks for your help in keeping the theatre venue clean and tidy!

PLEASE turn CELL PHONES and ELECTRONIC DEVICES off before showtime • Please remain seated during the performance • Please save the discussion and talking until intermission • Videotaping or other video or audio recording of this

production is strictly prohibited • Children under 3 unfortunately cannot be admitted

into the theatre.

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• Out of respect for your fellow audience members, please

refrain from wearing strong fragrances while at the theatre.

We acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia

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Greetings from the Artistic Director Welcome to Gallery 7 Theatre, to our 20232024 “Heart of Community” Theatre Season and to this production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. I truly hope that your experience with us today brightens your holiday season, brings you some extra cheer, and warms your heart, soul, and mind…like a hot cup of hot apple cider.

Tis the season for…family. Families are given or they are found. Our ‘family’ constitutes a community of support, encouragement, love, and steadfast understanding & acceptance.

But our ‘family’ can also meddle, try patience, and sometimes outright hurt us. Sometimes, our ‘family’ can struggle to understand, and sometimes they can even overlook us. Yet, we find ourselves drawn back to our given and/ or found families because we long for a place of comfort, stability, connection, and, well, community.

This show celebrates and uncovers the realities of family in all its glory and in all its fallibility.

We laugh at the Bennet family’s foibles, misunderstandings, shortcomings and wellintentioned but often ill-advised meddling. But I think we can also relate to Mary, the sometimesoverlooked child or sibling. I feel her story tugs at our own stories. Deep down, we all long for a sense of place, autonomy and agency, a life journey we can call our own. May this play inspire us all to be better ‘family’ to each other; to celebrate each other’s uniqueness and to truly ‘see’ each other as we are. May we all feel ‘found’ this holiday season and may we all find ‘love’ in whatever shape or form it presents itself to us.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Gallery 7 Theatre.

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Director’s Notes I had been begging Ken for quite some time to let me direct a show for Gallery 7 Theatre, and thus you can imagine my joy when I was asked to consider directing Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. I instantly said yes and devoured the script in one sitting. I knew I was hooked when the images of how it might unfold began to swim around my mind, and if you are reading this, then the rest is history now.

What a delight it is to share with all of you this captivating story of family, relationships, and blossoming love. The writers, Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, did an excellent job creating a world where we are transported back into the lives of our favorite characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and a believable continuation of those infamous love stories. There is a softening to the partnered characters in the play as they dispose of the typical stiff formalities of high society and sink instead into sharing life as a larger family unit anticipating different things during this season at Pemberley Hall.

Then there is Mary and her soul-searching journey for something to fill the void of a solitary life. Audiences will be forced to recognize the uncomfortable space created when one does not have an assigned love interest in a world that makes the ‘in-between’ of eligible maid and spinster almost unbearable, if not impossible.

We celebrate and struggle alongside her as a host of meddlesome family take charge of

Greetings from the Gallery 7 Theatre Board President Hello and happy holidays from the Board of Directors! Our various committees have been busy setting up this year's Terms of Reference and commitments as we inch closer toward our Strategic Plan’s goals. The Board has made some major headway on plans for next year. We're winding down in December to enjoy the holidays with friends and family, but we'll be gearing up again in 2024.

directing and re-directing the blossoming seeds of romance, bringing to question just how far one will go to find true happiness, whatever it may be.

I’ll call attention to the stark shift of 1800’s period gender roles compared to modern culture and the way these modern authors honored Jane Austen while still managing to soften the edges of this mostly female focused piece. What awakens in Mary is really what one hopes to awaken in us all; a chance to truly discover oneself and to make a dream for ones’ future become a reality.

My hope is that you will delightfully escape back into the past, back into the early buds of blossoming love and all the blunders that go with it. I hope you smile, cringe, gasp, laugh and love these characters along the way to a most satisfying ending. May this moment of theatrical invitation truly inspire you to seek out the things that delight your heart and pursue your wildest dreams, however forgotten they may be.

Sarah Green Director December, 2023

Please enjoy Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Gallery 7 Theatre's last production of 2023.

See you in the new year!

Matt Forster President Board of Directors

WHO’S WHO: CAST & CREW

Audrey Boschmann

Spencer Danek

Delaney Davis

Angel Duran-Heon

Tiani Forster

Sarah Green

Lydia Gunnik

Danielle Hackett

Ken Hildebrandt

Mia Joiner

Jeff Kiers

Elijah Kroeker

Cameron Mckerchar

Andrew Potts

Alyssa Strauss

Maria Van Herwaarden

Shannon Tauber

Brenna Tinworth

Madison Willoughby

Victoria Zator

Audrey Boschmann (Assistant Stage Manager, Costume Coordinator) This is Audrey’s first production with G7 and she has been so happy to be a part of it. Her job as the costume ASM is to fix and alter each of the costumes to ensure our actors look their best on stage! Her other theatre credit comes from working on a production of Little Women with ACS. The best part of her job is seeing the characters come to life on stage in their costumes.

Spencer Danek (Fitzwilliam Darcy) Spencer’s love of the stage began in Grade 5 with his school’s production of How to sell a Vacuum Cleaner. He has been enrolled in HCOS’ Ignite Theatre for four years, and his most notable acting credits include: Bert, Mary Poppins (Ignite), Lumiére, Beauty and the Beast (Ignite), Elmer, Newsies (Ignite). In his free time, Spencer can be found rehearsing for his role as Willy Wonka in Ignite Theatre’s upcoming production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Spencer would like to thank Sara-Lee Hamre for discovering his talent.

Delaney Davis (Mary Bennet) Delaney is a grade 12 student who has always had a love for theatre.

Her first official show was Mary Poppins with Ignite Theatre in 2022. She then went on to play Madame De La Grande Bouche in Beauty and the Beast where her opera singing skills were put to the test. This May, she will be playing Veruca in Willy Wonka. When she’s not at rehearsals, you can find her studying at cafes or swimming in lakes, no matter the season. She is so excited for everyone to see this performance that the cast and crew have worked so hard to put together!

Angel Duran-Heon (Charles Bingley) Angel’s return to stage brings him back to his Gallery 7 Theatre roots: his first show with the company happened to be the most recent production of the much beloved Pride & Prejudice. However, much has changed since those times! From drama to comedy, from young to slightly less young, and from fresh to well-seasoned, Angel feels more ready than ever to bring the audience into another world and time, hopefully with great entertainment! So once more onto the breach, dear friends… ah darn… wrong time… enjoy the show!

Tiani Foster (Jane Bingley - Understudy) Tiani joined the team as an understudy quite late in the game, but she's delighted to support the wonderful cast in sharing this festive story. Tiani's most recent appearance on the G7 stage was as Mary Debenham in Murder on the Orient Express.

A few other past favourite roles include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Gallery 7), Annie O’Ryan in Mail-Order Annie (Abby Theatre Fest), and General Schmitz in Seussical (Xtreme Theatre).

She also loves working backstage and spent many years as a Stage Manager/Program Instructor for Jesters Theatre. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Sarah Green (Director) Sarah has worked intermittently both on and off the stage with Gallery 7 Theatre since shortly after its inception.

She performed in two of last year’s productions playing the Countess in Murder on the Orient Express, and Fledge(Horse)/Detective/Mother in The Magician's Nephew; last year, she additionally directed a short work for the Harrison Arts Festival titled Doll Cargo as well as a compilation piece performed live for the G7 Abby Theatre Festival. Sarah additionally designed the Hair & Makeup look for G7’s The Secret Garden last spring and has been a designer on over 20 G7 past productions. She holds a Diploma in Theatre Arts and Adult Education and was pleasantly surprised when asked to direct this Jane Austen-esque piece. She was hooked the moment she read the script and has not passed a rehearsal without finding something to laugh at in this utterly delightful work of art. It is her sincerest hope the audience will enjoy each savory moment watching these fantastic actors bring to life some of our favorite Jane Austen characters and introducing a few new ones.

Lydia Gunnik (Anne De Bourgh) Lydia’s love for theater developed during elementary school, where she would direct and act in sketches with her classmates. Since then, she’s had roles such as a French-speaking Big Bad Wolf, a crazy wife of William of Orange, and the Announcer in WhoDunnit (CCHS). With all the free time she actually didn’t have while pursuing a B.A. at UFV, she decided to go further than her school-gym productions and be in this show! She thanks her family and friends for being so supportive of her wild dreams!

Danielle Hackett (Elizabeth Darcy) Danielle has had a growing interest in theatre since 2013 when she first played Annie in Annie jr. Since then, she has played a variety of roles from Wendy Darling in Peter Pan to Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins.

After graduating, she moved out of the performing arts but has since missed being on stage and has enjoyed bringing to life the character of Mrs. Darcy. She would like to thank her family, friends, and fiancé for their ongoing support and gives God the glory for her ability to perform this show tonight!

Ken Hildebrandt (Lighting Designer) Ken is the founding Executive/Artistic Director of Gallery 7 Theatre. In addition to managing the organization, Ken occasionally directs, acts, or does lighting design. Select lighting design credits include Hamlet (UFV), The Fantasticks, Mary’s Wedding, Pride and Prejudice, Last Train to Nibroc and This Wonderful Life. When not doing theatre, Ken enjoys announcing at air shows, going to the movies, and relaxing at home with friends or video games.

Mia Joiner (Sound and Lighting Assistant) This show is Mia's first time working with lights and sound equipment. She is currently in Grade 10 and has had a passion for video editing for many years, so when she was offered the chance to volunteer with the tech crew for Gallery 7 Theatre, she thought it would be a good opportunity to put her knowledge to use and help put on this amazing show.

Jeff Kiers (Set Designer) Jeff graduated from Redeemer University with a double major in Theatre Arts and Mathematics. He spent the following 25 years teaching math and drama in local Christian high schools. Jeff has produced and directed 29 shows. Highlights include Goodrich’s The Diary of Anne Frank, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Brecht’s The

Caucasian Chalk Circle. Jeff has designed several sets for G7 and directed Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. When not working in the theatre, Jeff is a self-employed Phantom Screens dealer (Q2Q Screen Solutions).

Elijah Kroeker (Sound Designer) Elijah received his training at Nimbus School of recording and is excited for this Christmas’s production. Elijah composed and sound designed G7’s production of Murder on the Orient Express last season. He hopes you enjoy this show, is looking forward to working on more shows in the future and is excited to be expanding your imagination with the use of sound and music.

Cameron Mckerchar (Arthur De Bourgh) Cameron is making his return to theatre after three years of collecting his Bachelors of Education at Thompson Rivers University. He missed the stage greatly, having previously appeared in shows including A Wrinkle in Time (G7), The Giver (G7), Possible Worlds (UFV), Guys & Dolls (FVS), among others. He likes to explore all avenues of theatre, having jumped in on lighting design, stage management, and more. Outside of the theatre, you will find him playing volleyball and Final Fantasy XIV with friends. ‘To the Edge’

by Masayoshi Soken MAY be his pump-up song for this play. Cannot confirm or deny :) Andrew Potts (Construction Manager) Andrew has assembled several sets for Gallery 7 Theatre over the years with great Sensibility. He tries not to be too Austentatious about it, though.

Whenever he straightens a Bennet nail, he can be heard Collin with Pride to his assistant carpenters.

Merry Christmas!

Alyssa Strauss (Stage Manager) Alyssa fell in love with theatre at a young age, attending annual Christmas productions at Johnston Heights Community Church. She has explored theatre in various capacities with Gallery 7 Theatre over the past year. She enjoyed her first onstage role as a Dream Detective in The Magician’s Nephew (G7) and later performed in the ensemble in The Secret Garden (G7). She was also involved backstage and in the fly tower in Murder on the Orient Express (G7). She is thrilled to be part of this wonderful production and hopes you enjoy this heartwarming holiday romance.

Victoria Zator (Lydia Wickham) Victoria has always had a love for theatre and acting ever since she was a little girl watching The Phantom of the Opera with her family. She was an avid drama student throughout high school and after graduation in 2018 went to Vancouver Film School, studying acting. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book.

This is her very first production and she hopes you enjoy the show!

Maria Van Herwaarden (Jane Bingley) It has been nearly nine years since Mariah stepped onto a stage (The 39 Steps, TIC) and twelve years since she worked with Gallery 7 Theatre (Quiet in the Land). She is excited to make her come back with such a creative cast and crew. Mariah is an 'experience collector,' so you can often find her doing something adventurous. Theatre is no exception, especially when it comes to the adventures of playing a pregnant woman. She hopes you enjoy this experience as much as she does.

122-45185 Wolfe Road, Chilliwack, BC V2P 1V5 Madison Willoughby (Props Designer) Madison holds a B.A. in Theatre from SAMC Theatre at TWU. While her main love is for acting, Maddi also loves getting to work behind the scenes in various roles from directing toNovember publicity to creating 19th, 2012 props. She hopes you fall in love with jumping into new worlds, through the art of theatre, as much as she has. A few past credits include: Props KMS Tools Designer, Wild Light (Little Dipper); Director, Burger Woolridge Street Queen (SAMC); Penny 110 Sycamore, You Can’t Take It With You (SAMC); Margo Crawford,BC Bright Coquitlam, V3K 5V4 Star (SAMC).

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SUPPORTER’S GALLERY The individuals listed below are heroes of Gallery 7 Theatre. They have contributed some of their hard-earned cash to help us create entertaining theatre that stirs the heart, challenges the mind and elevates the soul. Thank you! Every effort has been made to make this list as accurate as possible but if you see an error or omission, please let us know at 604.504.5940 or at info@gallery7theatre.com so we can correct things. Our donors are very important to us!

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Patron’s Gallery ($100 - $249) Gordon & Frances Bates Michael Bergen Tamara Charman Maria Denholme Gloria Dyck Sheila Flavelle Roy Harrison Stacey Irwin Ardis Janzen Laura Kehler Harold & Carolyn Krahn Louise Oppel Christine Redekop James & Maggie Reith Joy Rousay David Salhstrom Robert & Pamela Schultz David & Marcia Smith Janette Thiessen Fran Vanderpol Matthew Welsh Actor’s Gallery ($250 - $499) Pat Davis Ken Hildebrandt Laura Kehler Ron Reed Director’s Gallery ($500 - $999) Danalyn Dejong Len & Elizabeth Doerksen Brayden Sawatzky Selwyn and Helen Uittencosch Karen VanDongen Anonymous Anonymous

Producer’s Gallery ($1,000 - $4,999) John & Angelika Dawson Rudy & MaryAnna Ouwehand Artistic Director’s Gallery ($5,000 +) Your Name Here You’re invited to join the community of G7 supporters!

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Make a one-time contribution or set up a monthly donation program. Every contribution, big or small, is a HUGE help to us. Give us a call at 604504-5940 or go to www. gallery7theatre.com to make your donation today!

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Production Team Assistant Stage Managers // Audrey Boschmann, Brenna Tinworth Sound Operator // Ryan Campbell Construction Manager // Andrew Potts Costume Assistants // Pat Davis, Heather Hamilton, Charlene Mason Scenic Painters // Jeff Kiers, Mikaela Karding House Managers // Linda Funk, Louise Reimer, Pete VanderMeulen Discussion Guide Editor // Angelika Dawson Program Layout & Design // Justin Keitch, Ignite Creative Production Photography // Dianna Lewis Archive Videographer // Aaron Dawson Promo Videographer // Micah Brandt Gallery 7 Theatre Staff Executive & Artistic Director // Ken Hildebrandt Theatre Administrator // Sara Mayfield Production Manager // Shannon Tauber Production Support // Charlene Crawford Marketing Associate & Webmaster // Gabe Kirkley Bookkeeper // Marion Witoszkin Front of House Coordinator // Sara Mayfield Head of Properties & Company Photographer // Dianna Lewis Graphic Designer // Justin Keitch, Ignite Creative Gallery 7 Theatre Board of Directors Matt Forster // President Alison Chisholm // Secretary Shelley Picard // Vice President Rudy Ouwehand // Treasurer Russel Reitsema, Heather Robertson, Raymond Robyn, and Lando Klassen // Directors at Large

Acknowledgements Gallery 7 Theatre extends a HUGE thank-you to all our volunteers for their hard work, dedication and support. Without them, this theatre would not succeed! We would also like to thank the following for their contribution to this production: Theatre in the Country // UFV Theatre Wardrobe Department – Heather Robertson // Abbotsford Christian School If you would like to volunteer or contribute to our productions, please contact us at 604-504-5940 or email info@gallery7theatre.com.

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Call 604-504-5940 or email info@gallery7theatre.com for details!

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