Miss Hall's School to Present 'Gut Girls'

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Take a step back in time to late-Victorian England and the "gutting" sheds of a South London cattle market, where the lives of the women working there are about to be turned upside down.

The Miss Hall's School Theater Ensemble will present "Gut Girls," a gritty drama about working women at the turn of the 20th century. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15; 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17. All shows will take place in the Woods Theater of the Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Arts Center on the Miss Hall's School campus.

Call 413-395-7023 to reserve tickets. General admission is $10, and reservations are recommended. Senior citizen and handicapped-accessible seating is available. The performance is rated PG-13, with adult content and implied violence.

This MHS production features senior Erica Morales-Armstrong as Maggie; senior Emily Carmel of Pittsfield as Polly; junior Jiho Shin as Ellen; sophomore Keely O'Gorman of Lee as Kate; and freshwoman Olivia McKeon of Pittsfield as Annie. They are the "gut girls," plying their trade in less than glamorous conditions. That is, until well-meaning socialite Lady Helena, played by junior Hannah Holt, pays a visit to the market and is intent on reforming the women.

The production also stars junior Olivia Doerr of Lenox and sophomore Halie Swallie as Priscilla and Arthur, an upper-crust couple. Additionally, Halie performs as Harry, who is the gutting shed foreman, and as Mad Jacko, a music hall performer. The cast also includes sophomore Milie Madourie as Edwin, who is a friend of Lady Helena's, and as Len, a local Deptford pub owner; junior Nya Mielke, of Richmond, as Kate's love interest, Jim, who also works in the gutting shed; sophomore Olivia Kick-Nalepa of Dalton as Emily, Lady Helena's maid; senior Betty Xiao as Eady, Maggie's mom; junior Linda Le as Edna, Polly's mom; and freshwoman Lucy Garrison of Pittsfield as Nora, Lady Helena's downstairs maid.

The show's ensemble features freshwomen Kenja Harley of Stamford, Vt., Andrea Fox of Lenox and Hannah Carmel of Pittsfield; and sophomore Daisy Feng. The production's technical crew includes stage managers Soleil Laurin, a senior from Pittsfield, and senior Annie Lombardi, with costume assistance from junior Linh Tran. The show is directed by Jennifer Jordan, director of theater and dance at Miss Hall's School.

Written by Sarah Daniels, "Gut Girls" premiered in 1988 in London.

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