Share:

“It’s 1931 and chivalry is dead,” exclaims Keri Seymour in a very convincing Scottish Brogue at the end of a scene during rehearsal. “Does anyone have any Tylenol?” she asks in the same accent.

PCC’s fall production “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” opened Friday, so it is rare to see any of the talented cast break character for very long, if at all.
“The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” takes place in Scotland in the 1930s. It is about a charismatic and unconventional school teacher.
“It’s a play that has stood the test of time,” said Whitney Rydbeck, who has been directing the theater at PCC since 1975. “It shows the power of belief—the seductive, destructive qualities of belief.”
This play has a diverse array of cast members. There are full time theater students as well as past students and friends of Professor Rydbeck who have enrolled in PCC so that they were able to participate in this production. Having such a wide range in age groups makes for a more accurate depiction of each character, as the characters range from school aged to middle-aged.
“We are doing the play as written,” explained Rydbeck. “We got the rights from the publisher to do it as is.”
Seymour has returned to school to finish her degree after relocating in New York and owning her own theater company for 10 years. She will play the part of Miss Jean Brodie.
Michaela Escarcega, who plays the role of Sandy, recently returned from studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Besides being the “most intense thing” she has done, Escarcega said that learning company work was “super valuable to bring back here.” This is because it “advances the level of performance by learning how to work well with others.”
“The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” will continue to run from Oct. 9 to Oct. 11. There will be a matinee along with an evening show for the Saturday showing.

Follow: