About the Play:

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is a full-length romantic comedy by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. In this winning and witty sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the bookish middle child of the Bennet family finally has her day. Constantly overshadowed by her four sisters, Mary Bennet finds hope for a new life beyond her family from an unexpected holiday romance.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is a playful sequel to Jane Austen's beloved novel Pride and Prejudice. Set two years after the novel ends, Miss Bennet continues the story, only this time the bookish, oft-neglected middle-sister Mary as its unlikely heroine. Mary is growing tired of her role as dutiful middle sister in the face of her siblings' romantic escapades. When the family gathers for Christmas at Pemberley, an unexpected guest sparks Mary's hopes for independence, an intellectual match, and possibly even love. But will her story end happily ever after? Will Lydia steal the spotlight once again, or can Mary step out of her sisters' shadows as the heroine of her own story? Austen fans and first-timers alike will find much to love in this alluring comedic tale.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley received a rolling world premiere in 2016 with three productions at Marin Theatre Company in the San Francisco Bay Area, at Northlight Theatre in Chicago, and at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland. The play was a hit, has charmed critics and audiences across America, and has become a popular choice for high school, college, and community theatre productions.

Cast: 5 female, 3 male

What people say:

"Droll and delicious, Miss Bennet is a charming, confectionary celebration of fan favorite characters from Pride and Prejudice, multi-generationally honoring the legacy of Jane Austen's humor, playfulness and wit in a warm-spirited holiday theatrical production." — DCMetroTheaterArts.com

"…a perfectly constructed love story…Given its fizzy comedy, sweet spirit and clean structure, [Miss Bennet] seems destined to populate future holiday seasons…." — San Francisco Chronicle

"…an unstuffy, highly entertaining and warm-spirited work, the kind of thing multiple generations can enjoy together." — Chicago Tribune

About the Playwright:

Lauren M. Gunderson is an American playwright, screenwriter, and short story author originally from Atlanta, Georgia. She received her BA in English/Creative Writing at Emory University, and her MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch, where she was also a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship.

Margot Melcon is a theater artist, administrator and writer. She was the Director of New Play Development at Marin Theatre Company for seven years, where she dramaturged over 30 productions. She is currently the Program Executive for Promoting Culture at the Zellerbach Family Foundation.