Jessica Michna of First Impressions theater company will portray Molly Brown, the famous survivor of the Titanic disaster, during the next Thursdays at the U program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire – Barron County.
Michna’s portrayal will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m. April 23 in the Blue Hills Lecture Hall in Ritzinger Hall and also will be livestreamed at ricelaketv.com.
Jessica Michna as “the unsinkable” Molly Brown
Remembered as “the unsinkable” Molly Brown, the woman was more than a survivor of the Titanic tragedy. Descriptions such as gold prospector, gambler and card shark barely scratch the surface of this brave, dynamic woman of the early 20th century.
Through Michna’s portrayal, attendees will learn about Brown’s fascinating life and meet some of the interesting characters she met along the way.
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.
Since the company’s founding in 2000, Michna has expanded her repertoire to include 17 historical figures. While she has appeared before a wide range of audiences, Michna is particularly fond of performing for senior groups and communities.
The life experiences of those in her senior audiences enhance her understanding of life stories. She often reminds her audiences that everyone has a history and encourages them to record their own life stories.
“History is not a litany of which general died under which tree. It is the story and life experiences of each human life,” Michna says.
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.
While in-person attendance is encouraged, most presentations in the series are livestreamed and archived on the Thursdays at the U webpage.
The next program in the series will be April 30, with Richard Mills and Dayn Leonardson presenting “Making Modern Audio Drama.”
For more information about the series, contact Laura Holden at 715-788-6207 or holdenlk@uwec.edu.
