On Thursday, November 21, Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23, at Glenbard North High School, the GN Theatre Studio presented a historical comedy written by Molière in 17th-century France. The play, called The Learned Ladies, was directed by Nathan King and Jack Byrne, ‘26.
The Learned Ladies is about a girl named Henriette whose parents decide it is high time to find a husband for their daughter. Henriette’s sister, Armande, deplores the idea of marriage and the stereotypes associated with it, and would much rather devote her time to her studies. Henriette’s mother is also quite scholarly and wants her to marry a well-educated man, while her father wishes to show his control over the household by determining who Henriette marries by himself. Clitandre, the man who Henriette truly wishes to marry, is faced with multiple adversaries who all seem to think they should have a say in Henriette’s future. In the end, though, Clitandre proves himself steadfast even in times of hardship, winning over Henriette’s family. The two are wed to each other happily.
The play was a hilarious production with historically accurate themes. The humor was transparent in a way that many could appreciate, and it had a joyful resolution.
The cast for this production was primarily made up of Theatre Honor Society members, as the play went on for nearly two hours and actors were required to memorize lengthy lines and extensive stage directions. A list of the stage cast is seen below:
An honorary mention goes out to Noodle the Pug, whose presence truly made the play memorable.
Well-appreciated classical music of the period was played between scenes, likely courtesy of the Technical/Sound Director Marissa Talarico, the Sound Master John Luu, ‘26, and the build and running crew members, Aidan Aguilar, ‘26, Oliver Christie, ‘26, Tristan Tayaban, ‘25, Ben Tolentino, ‘25, and Aaron Van Lerberghe, ‘26.
The costumes made for the play were absolutely gorgeous, thanks to the work of Megan Smith, Kate Orozco, ‘25, Sophia Nicolaidis, ‘27, Kellie Kieu, ‘25, Kaia Melendez, ‘25, Scarlett Allemana, ‘28, Brandon Arias, ‘28, and Lia Villanova, ‘28.
All in all, The Learned Ladies was very well-done in aesthetics, acting, sound design, and humor.