Charles Dickens, author, playwright, actor and social activist, was indeed a master of characters. Many of his characters were drawn from his surroundings and life experiences.
Jessica Michna of First Impressions theater company will portray Catherine Dickens — or Mrs. Charles Dickens — during the next Thursdays at the U event at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire – Barron County.
Jessica Michna as Mrs. Charles Dickens
Michna’s portrayal will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m. April 3 in the Blue Hills Lecture Hall in Ritzinger Hall. It also will be livestreamed at ricelaketv.com.
Catherine Dickens was a long-suffering wife and mother of 10 children. In her first-person monologue, Michna will give the audience an unflinching look into Dickens’ life and introduce such women as Nancy from “Oliver Twist,” Miss Havisham from “Great Expectations,” Betsey Trotwood from “David Copperfield” and others.
Michna will appear in a period-appropriate costume and will take questions from the audience following the presentation.
Michna developed a love of history at an early age. She and her family visited many historic sites throughout the U.S. Her school years would find her appearing in various productions, and, upon graduation, several scholarships were offered to further her studies in theater arts.
She opted instead to earn a degree in psychology from the Universities of Wisconsin, working for several years as a researcher and lecturer. Her love of theater and history eventually led Michna to found her company, First Impressions. In 2016, she was awarded the Presidential Service Center’s Distinguished Service Award for her riveting portrayals of first ladies.
The Thursdays at the U weekly series is free and open to the public thanks to support from the UW-Eau Claire – Barron County Foundation. Neither seating reservations nor parking permits are needed for in-person attendees.
Although in-person attendance is encouraged, most talks in the series are livestreamed. They also are archived and can be watched later on the Thursdays at the U webpage.
The next lecture in the series will be April 10, with Nicole Muschinske presenting “What’s in a Name?”
For more information, contact Laura Holden at 715-788-6207 or holdenlk@uwec.edu.
