WT Theatre to Open Season with Absurd Take on Classic Literature

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Four of literature’s most iconic female characters fly off the page in an absurdist twist on beloved novels in the opening production from West Texas A&M University Theatre.

“You on the Moors Now” by Jaclyn Backhaus will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17-18 and 24-25 and 2:30 p.m. Sept. 19 and 26 in the Branding Iron Theatre inside the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex on the Canyon campus. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and non-WT students, and free for WT students, faculty and staff.

In the comedy, Jo March (“Little Women”), Elizabeth Bennett (“Pride and Prejudice”), Cathy Earnshaw (“Wuthering Heights”) and Jane Eyre (yes, “Jane Eyre”) all exist in the same reality — like all the Spider-Men in “Into the Spiderverse.” They each somehow find the temerity to say “no” not only to the marriage proposals that figure so strongly into their literary origins, but also to the expectations and limitations imposed upon women in the worlds their books depict.

“These women were all created by female authors in a time when they were restricted by society, and the play comments on that in subtle ways,” said director Callie Hisek, WT’s Royal Brantley Professor of Theatre. “Ultimately, it asks why someone would have to give up anything to get what they want.”

Audiences shouldn’t need more than passing knowledge of the source material, said Darrianna Rockholt, a senior theater major from Amarillo, who plays Cathy.

“As actors, we’re creating our own characters based on the original books, and it’s our job to find the balance of being true to the book and to the absurd situation of the play,” Rockholt said. “But if you haven’t read the books, you can easily pick up on who these characters are.”

In addition to Rockholt, stars include Kendall Carnahan, a junior theater major from Amarillo, as Elizabeth Bennet; Bella Walker, a senior theater major from Melissa, as Jo March; Arden Hinshaw, a senior theater major from Borger, as Jane Eyre; Joseph Ward, a senior acting major from Andrews, as Fitzwilliam Darcy; Zane Wells, a senior acting major from Lubbock, as Laurie Laurence; Omar Nevarez, a senior theater major from Amarillo, as Heathcliff; and Aidan Tsichlis, a senior musical theater major from Plano, as Mr. Rochester.

Also featured in the show are Mackenzie Privett, a senior musical theater major from Portales, N.M.; Jalen Barrera, a junior theater major from New Deal; Kaitlin Wampler, a senior theater major from Wichita Falls; Ethan Chase, a junior theater major from Amarillo; Wyatt Brownell, a senior theater major from Lubbock; and Hayley Hurst, a junior musical theatre major from Melissa.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

Photo: WT Theatre's "You on the Moors Now" stars Darianna Rockholt, from left, as Cathy; Kendall Carnahan as Elizabeth; Bella Walker as Jo; and Arden Hinshaw as Jane.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. With enrollment of more than 10,000, WT offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 40 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WTAMU—