Holiday confection! Surpasses any Netflix holiday rom-com.
— San Francisco Chronicle
Masterful! Heartwarming!
— The Mercury News
Highly Entertaining!.
— Stage and Cinema
All remaining performances are sold out!* All remaining performances are sold out!*
All remaining performances are sold out!* All remaining performances are sold out!*

King James

Dec 4-29, 2024

By LAUREN GUNDERSON and MARGOT MELCON
Directed by Jeffrey Lo

Move over Charles Dickens, Jane Austen is here for the holidays.
This charming seasonal comedy is a romantic sequel to Pride and Prejudice, told with Regency respect but a modern sense and sensibility. As the beloved Bennet sisters gather for carols and confections at the Darcy’s Pemberley estate, perennially passed-over sister Mary retreats into her books and fantasies. Will an unexpected guest lead her in an enticing new direction? It’s Christmas after all.

 

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley has an estimated runtime of two hours and fifteen minutes and includes one fifteen-minute intermission. 

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*Tickets may be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Photos: Kevin Berne, 2024

Special Events & Accessible Performances

Join TheatreWorks for a pre-show discussion with TheatreWorks Artistic Director Giovanna Sardelli, Miss Bennet scenic designer Andrea Bechert, and costume designer Cathleen Edwards. In this free event, peer behind the scenes and learn more about the process of bringing Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly to life.

  • Thursday, December 5, 2024 @ 6:30 – 7:15 pm (in the theatre at the back left corner of the house)
  • Wednesday, December 11, 2024 @ 7:30pm
  • Thursday, December 26, 2024 @ 8pm
  • Saturday, December 28, 2024 @ 8pm
  • Sunday, December 29, 2024 @ 2pm
  • Sunday, December 22, 2024 @ 2pm
  • Sunday, December 22, 2024 @ 7pm
  • Wednesday, December 26, 2024 @ 2pm
  • Tuesday, December 17, 2024 @ 7:30pm
  • Friday, December 13, 2024 @ 8pm
  • Saturday, December 14, 2024 @ 2pm
  • Sunday, December 22, 2024 @ 2pm
One of the funniest and most moving plays about friendship in years.
— TheaterMania
One of the funniest and most moving plays about friendship in years.
— TheaterMania
One of the funniest and most moving plays about friendship in years.
— TheaterMania

Cast

ELISSA BETH STEBBINS*

(Mary Bennet, they/she) has previously been seen in TheatreWorks’ Mrs. Christie, as well as Nan and the Lower Body, several New Works Festival readings and two TheatreWorks Education school tours. Recent regional credits include Colonialism is Terrible but Pho is Delicious (Aurora), Becky Nurse of Salem (Berkeley Rep), Kings, Kiss, The Village Bike, and Caught (Shotgun Players), In Braunau (San Francisco Playhouse Sandbox Series), Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again., and You For Me For You (Crowded Fire Theatre). Elissa is a Teaching Artist, and a co-founder of Analog Theatre, where they produce and devise physical theatre. Elissa graduated with honors from Santa Clara University, and is a lifelong student, continuing their training with Shakespeare and Company, Atelier Matteo Destro, and more.

DAVID TOSHIRO CRANE*

(Arthur de Bourgh) is delighted to return to Theatreworks Silicon Valley, where he previously performed in The Prince of Egypt (World Premiere) and Tuck Everlasting. A Berkeley native who now calls NYC his home-base, he most recently performed in the LA revival of Reefer Madness, produced by Kristen Bell and Alan Cumming. Other Bay Area Credits: Guys and Dolls at SF Playhouse; The Glass Menagerie at Sacramento Theatre Company; Vietgone and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Capital Stage; and Grease, Hair, and West Side Story at The Mountain Play. He has also appeared in numerous BuzzFeed sketches, some with over 100 million views. Proud UCLA Theatre graduate. more at davidtcrane.com and on social media (@craviddane).

SOPHIE ODA*

(Lydia Wickham) is overjoyed to return to TheatreWorks. Sophie is a Bay Area native, who has appeared in TheatreWorks’ “Jane Eyre,” “A Little Princess,” “Pacific Overtures,” “The Joy Luck Club.” Other theatre credits include “The 25th Annual Putnam..” at San Jose Repertory, “Miss Saigon”at Sacramento Music Circus, “Into the Woods” at the Claire Trevor, “Flower Drum Song” at SanGabriel Music Playhouse. Sophie was a recurring character in Disney’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as a teen. Upon completing her BFA in Musical Theatre at UC Irvine, Sophie remained in Los Angeles for some years, appearing in The Big Bang Theory, Hawaii Five-0, NCIS:LA, Robot Chicken, Amethyst Princess of Gemworld. You can also find her collection of audiobook narrations on Audible.

KAUSAR MOHAMMED*

(Elizabeth Darcy) is a dynamic actor whose versatility spans stage, film, and television. This summer, she debuted her one-person play, Short, Little, Green Men, commissioned by Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene’s inaugural AAPI Playwrights Festival. A writer and performer with the all-South Asian sketch comedy troupe The Get Brown, Kausar captivated audiences through three sold-out seasons with the group. She also performs with Upright Citizens Brigade’s house team, Betty. On screen, she starred as Dr. Meena Dhawan on The Flash and Soraya Abbas on 4400. As a voice actor, she brings to life Yaz in Jurassic World: Chaos Theory and Cleo in Monster High. Her award-winning work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Bazaar, Huffington Post, NBC, and Al Jazeera.

ADAM GRIFFITH*

(Fitzwilliam Darcy)is so excited to be returning to TheatreWorks! He played Malcolm for six years in Sleep No More both Off-Broadway and in Shanghai (Punchdrunk). Regional credits include  Jonathan in The Play That Goes Wrong (San Francisco Playhouse), Hannay U/S in The 39 Steps (San Francisco Playhouse) and Ben U/S in Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley). In addition, he played the motion capture performer in an immersive one-man adaptation of A Christmas Carol titled Chained (Story Arcade at Future of StoryTelling). Film credits include acting and directing with independent companies in New York, roles on HBO and Comedy Central, and working with Wong Kar-wai in Shanghai. Adam is a forever freelance and multi-hyphenate artist finding creative ways to continue doing what he loves. He trained with The Barrow Group, New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, and Heidi Marshall Studio. Adam earned a BFA in Theatre Performance from Hofstra University. @adamlukegriffith

AMANDA PULCINI*

(Jane Bingley) is thrilled to return to TheatreWorks. Recently she performed in Mrs. Christie (Female Understudy) at TheatreWorks, Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson Apt. 2B (Holmes), Boeing, Boeing (Gretchen) at Third Avenue Playworks. Selected regional credits include Legally Blonde (Chutney) Cats (Jennyanydots), Boeing, Boeing (Gloria) at Pittsburgh CLO, Titus Andronicus (Tamora/Ensemble) at The Shakespeare Forum, the U.S. premiere of Robert Icke’s Oresteia (Klytemnestra). TV credits include Chicago PD and The Big Leap. Film credits include On Fire, The Pool Keeper, Hey, I’m Home, Cheaters, and The Source. She holds an MFA from DePaul University,  BFA from Shenandoah Conservatory, as well as being a Certified Intimacy Coordinator and Intimacy Director through Intimacy Directors and Coordinators. www.AmandaPulcini.com

WILLIAM THOMAS HODGSON

(Charles Bingley, U/S Darcy/Arthur) has performed with TheatreWorks in Mrs. Christie (dir. Giovanna Sardelli), Calligraphy (dir. Eamon Jameson), and recently choreographed Little Shop of Horrors (dir. Jeffrey Lo). His regional credits include four seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, It Can’t Happen Here (Berkeley Rep), El Henry and Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (La Jolla Playhouse), An Octoroon (Mixed Blood Theatre), Cyrano (Aurora Theater Company), and I Am My Own Wife and Every Brilliant Thing (Oakland Theater Project). Recent directing projects include Passing Strange (Shotgun Players), Is God Is (Oakland Theater Project), and Ragtime, FunHome, and  Kinky Boots (Berkeley Playhouse). He received his MFA from UC San Diego, and is co-artistic director of the Oakland Theater Project.

MAGGIE MASON

(Anne de Bourgh) is delighted to be making her Theatreworks debut in this absolute gem of show. Recent credits include: The 39 Steps at the SF Playhouse (dir. Susi Damilano), The Play That Goes Wrong at San Jose Stage (dir. Ken Kelleher), Birthday Candles by Noah Haidle (dir. Vivienne Benesch) at Chautauqua Theater, The Half-Light at Portland Stage, A Christmas Carol at Trinity Rep, and Discus at Hunger and Thirst Theatre in New York. Bay Area theatre: Berkeley Rep, Magic Theatre, Aurora Theatre Company, Central Works, Center Rep, SF Mime Troupe, Town Hall Theatre, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, and Pacific Rep. Brown/Trinity Rep MFA. Love to MT for making this all possible.

SALIM RAZAWI

(U/S Charles Bingley) is a director, casting consultant, and theatre artist working widely through the Bay Area. He’s thrilled to be back at TheatreWorks, where he last performed in Water by the Spoonful. Previous acting credits include The Play That Goes Wrong at SF Playhouse, Disgraced at San Jose Stage Company and Sebastian in Twelfth Night at Marin Shakespeare Company. In addition Salim has performed with Broadway by the Bay, Altarena Playhouse, Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Playhouse, Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, Tabard Theatre, Livermore Shakespeare Festival, and Golden Thread Productions. His directing credits include Once on This Island (Contra Costa Civic Theatre), Mean Girls (City of Milpitas), School of Rock and Legally Blonde (City of Pleasanton), The Shape of Things and Into the Woods (Town Hall Theatre Company). He worked as a teaching artist for theatre companies including American Conservatory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. salimrazawi.com

MICHELLE SKINNER

U/S Mary Bennet, Elizabeth Darcy, Lydia Wickham, Jane Bingley, and Anne de Bourgh) is thrilled to be back understudying with TheatreWorks. In the Bay, she was last seen in Palo Alto Player’s Murder on the Orient Express. She is an alumnus of UC Irvine and a graduate of the acting program at South Coast Repertory. Up next, you can catch Michelle in Noises Off at Palo Alto Players. Other TheatreWorks productions include Tuck Everlasting, Sense & Sensibility, and 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee. More at michelleskinner.com

CREATIVE TEAM

LAUREN GUNDERSON

(Playwright) is one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, with plays such as I and You, Silent Sky (produced at TheatreWorks in 2014), and The Book of Will. She recently wrote the book for the new musical The Time Traveller’s Wife.

MARGOT MELCON

(Playwright) was the Director of New Play Development for seven years at Marin Theatre Company, dramaturging numerous plays and administering MTC’s two annual play prizes. She currently works for Zellerbach Family Foundation.

JEFFREY LO

Director)  is TheatreWorks’ Associate Producer of Casting and Literary Management, and has previously directed TheatreWorks’ productions of Tiger Style!, Little Shop of Horrors, The Language Archive and The Santaland Diaries. A Filipino-American director and playwright, his additional directing credits include Vietgone and The Great Leap at Capital Stage, The Glass Menagerie  and Chinglish at San Francisco Playhouse, as well as Bald Sisters and Between Riverside and Crazy at San Jose Stage Co. He is the recipient of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award, the Arts Council Silicon Valley Emerging Artist Laureate, and Theatre Bay Area Director’s TITAN Award. In addition to his work on stage, Mr. Lo does work nationally promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in the arts. He is a graduate of the multicultural Arts Leadership Institute and a proud alumnus of the UC Irvine Drama Department. JeffreyWritesAPlay.com

TAYLOR MCQUESTEN*

(Stage Manager, she/her) is thrilled to return to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley for a 12th season! Taylor works locally and internationally as a stage and tour manager, electrician, and stuntwoman. Select credits include: Lizard Boy - Assistant Director (Oregon Shakespeare Festival) and Production Stage Manager (TheatreWorks, Silicon Valley; Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, England; The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Scotland), Arsenic and Old Lace at Center REP (Production Stage Manager), Tour Manager for Evan Rachel Wood and Zane Carney’s band EVAN+ZANE, Assistant Technical Director and Associate Production Manager (SF Sketchfest), Production Electrician (California Shakespeare Theater), Head of Lighting (Legion A/V), Swordswoman (Playfaire Productions), Production Manager (Dragon Theatre), and Production Assistant (Highlander Films). She also trains historic mêlée weapons at Davenriche European Martial Arts School under master swordsman, Sir Steáphen Fick.

ANDREA BECHERT

(Scenic Designer) has designed 40 productions with TheatreWorks, including Fun Home, Native Gardens, Crimes of the Heart, and Night of the Iguana.  Ms. Bechert designs for theatres across the country including Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the Cleveland Playhouse, The Jewel Theatre, Chautauqua Theatre Company, American Musical Theatre of San Jose, The Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, The Starlight Theatre, Opera San José, Center REPertory Theatre, and many others. Awards include several Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle awards, the Silicon Valley Laureate Award, and a Denver Ovation Award.  Her designs were included in the World Design Expo and Prague Quadrennial. She teaches design at San José State University and is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829, where she serves as Exam Committee Chair.

JAMES ARD

(Sound Designer) is a noisemaker specializing in new works, live experiences, and immersive stage productions. Ard’s recent designs at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley include Queen and Mrs. Christie. His recent work outside TWSV includes collaborations with Under the Radar at The Public Theater, American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco Playhouse, Summerhall at the Edinburgh Fringe, Sibiu International Theatre Festival, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Guthrie Theater, American Repertory Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, Center Repertory Company, Ensemble Theatre Company, Cutting Ball Theater, Crowded Fire Theater, Joe Goode Performance Group, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and Atlantic Theater Company.

SPENSE MATUBANG

and projections designer currently based in Oakland, California.  They received their degree in Theater Arts from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2020.  Spense is excited to make their Theatreworks debut with such a wonderful team!  Recent credits include Dragon Lady (Center Repertory Company, Geffen Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and Marin Theatre Company), Fellow Travelers and The Emissary (Opera Parallèle); Thirty-Six, Best Available, and The Triumph of Love (Shotgun Players); The Great Leap and Every Brilliant Thing (Center Repertory Company), and the West Coast premiere of Edit Annie (Crowded Fire Theater). www.spensematubang.com

JUDITH NIHEI

JUDITH NIHEI (Artist Counselor) is a San Francisco-based licensed psychotherapist in private practice. She consults for schools, nonprofits and community-based organizations, facilitating the incorporation of stress-reduction and cultural humility as an integral part of trauma-informed services. Clients have included Edgewood Center for Children and Families, Japanese Community Youth Council, and Theatre Communications Group, Inc.  As  a theatre director, dramaturg, writer, actor, and administrator, she worked with Asian American theatre companies in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, as well as The Seattle Rep, Cornish College of the Arts, and BRAVA.  She began her career in improv with The Committee and currently performs as one of The Bad Aunties.

DEE DEE STEPHENS

Intimacy Coordinator) is an actor/comedian, producer and arts educator. Her artistic voice is a unique mix of drama and humor that can be both dark and uplifting; the underlying message always being that radical love and radical art can change the world for the better. As a first generation American born to Caribbean parents and raised in San Jose, California, Dee Dee received her MFA degree in Acting from University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley. You can get regular updates about Dee Dee on IG: @DDStephensActs or DeeDeeStephens.com

ROXIE JOHNSON

(Wig Designer) is proud to be collaborating with TheatreWorks. Her most recent shows with TheatreWorks are The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Mrs. Christie, Little Shop of Horrors, They Promised Her the Moon, and Pride & Prejudice. She is currently attending SFSU for theatre graduate studies and has almost completed her Theatre Studies MA. She has worked on many plays for 6th Street Playhouse, Sonoma Arts Live, Sonoma State University, Los Altos Players, Santa Rosa Junior College, and West Edge Opera designing Wigs, Hair, and Makeup for shows such as Wedding Singer, Georgia McBride, Sunset Boulevard, Magic Flute, Sunday in the Park with George, The Opera Nightingale, and the Mariachi Opera Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. She currently teaches Special Effects, Makeup, and Wig Styling Classes at SRJC.

KIMBERLEY MOHNE HILL

(Dialect Coach) has served as Dialect Coach for over 25 years at TheatreWorks, working on such shows as: Mrs. Christie, Ragtime, Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice-The Musical, Around the World in 80 Days, Rags, Constellations, Triangle, Sweeney Todd, Water by the Spoonful, 33 Variations, The Pitmen Painters, Snow Falling on Cedars, The North Pool, Doubt, Theophilus North, Arcadia, Jane Eyre, Baby Taj, and Anna in the Tropics. Current Theatre and Dance Department Chair and Professor at Santa Clara University, she continues to direct, coach, and act (when she can) throughout the Bay Area!

EMILY ANDERSON WOLF*

(Assistant Stage Manager, she/her/any) has been the Assistant Stage Manager for TheatreWorks’ Little Shop of Horrors, Archduke, Frost/Nixon, Fun Home, Crimes of the Heart, Jane Austen’s Emma, Triangle, Fire on the Mountain, Peter and the Starcatcher, Sweeney Todd, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Little Women, and Other Desert Cities. She was also the Assistant Stage Manager for threesixty Entertainment’s First National Tour of Peter Pan; Journey to the West at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and with American Musical Theatre of San Jose. Ms. Wolf is also a proud member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. She holds a BA in Theatre, Cum Laude from Mount Holyoke College.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

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Tue–Sun : 12pm–6pm