By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT-Amplified Arts, the award winning production company based in Claremont, is mounting their next performance. Jane Austens’ “Emma” will be gracing the Claremont Opera House next month on July 21st for three nights. The romantic comedy, adapted by Michael Bloom, will be the production company’s first return to COH in ten years.
Emma, the fourth novel by the renowned author Jane Austen, is about a precocious young woman who’s misplaced confidence in her matchmaking abilities causes several romantic misadventures. A light hearted romantic comedy, Amplified Arts believes that this kind of fun romp is exactly what we need in these tumultuous times.
“The story is fun, it’s light and airy and with everything going on a bit of levity is welcomed right now,” said Artistic Director Shelly Hudson.
Hudson, who is also the Founder of Amplified Arts, is no stranger to Austen’s material. The last show her company put on at the Claremont Opera House was based on Austen’s second novel, Pride & Prejudice. So Hudson thought it only fitting that the return to the COH will also be one of her much beloved novels.
“Emma’s a pain in the butt, but you have to put it in the framework of regency England. It’s very passive aggressive. All of the main conflicts of Jane Austen’s books are the titles of the books, for example Pride & Prejudice. Emma is literally the title of the book and she’s her own problem, she gets in her own way,” said Hudson.
The cast, made up of a combination of Amplified Arts alumni and newcomers, all have their own connection to Emma. The show will star Olivia Barcelou in the titular role of Emma. Barcelou has been with Amplified Arts for the last four or five years, the group she says has been instrumental in her journey of self discovery.
“Working with Amplified Arts has launched my inspiration to become an actress. I signed with Maggie Inc, a model management agency in Boston and I’ve been doing a lot of auditions with them. Being a part of Amplified Arts has helped that entire experience. Shelly has taught me so much about acting,” she said.
Azalea Hudson, daughter of the director, is currently attending college in a Bachelor of the Arts program with a particular focus on the Victorian era. Hudson, along with Barcelou, are handcrafting much of the wardrobe for the production. She will be playing Harriet Smith in the production, and also cites the company as a source of direction and inspiration in her life.
“I’ve been part of [Amplified Arts] since its inception. Maya, who played Ms. Alton, was also part of that production. It’s given me a fair bit of direction, it started when I started highschool and it made me realize what I want to do, it’s also given me the experience to prepare for college,” Hudson stated.
The play opens at the Claremont Opera House on Thursday, July 21st. It will run on Thursday and Friday night, with two shows on Saturday. Ticket prices range from $16 to $21, and the show begins at 7:30.
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