---
title: "‘Emma’: Regency With a Twist"
date: 2024-10-08T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/emma-regency-with-a-twist"
section: Articles
---
# ‘Emma’: Regency With a Twist

*October 8, 2024* — by [Jessica Weiss ’05](/author/jessica-weiss-05)


> Contemporary Music, Diverse Cast, Inventive Costumes Mark TDPS’ Modern Adaptation of Jane Austen’s Classic Tale

*241004 emma 04 web — Drew Okoye as Emma Woodhouse dances with Terrence Bartlebaugh as George Knightley in a new take on the timeless tale of love, making mistakes and learning to hold yourself accountable.*

The scene in a grand ballroom is straight out of a Jane Austen novel: women wearing gloves and flowing gowns, men clad in tailcoats, the careful formality of a Regency-era dance. But as Rihanna's "Diamonds" sounds throughout the room, it becomes clear this isn’t your great-great-great-great-grandma’s ball. In a bold departure from the traditions of Austen’s time, the witty heroine seizes her partner and dips him low.

The University of Maryland School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ production of Austen’s “Emma,” playing at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center through Thursday, combines the charm of early 19th-century England with a diverse cast and modern touches. Leading the way is junior Drew Okoye in the role of Austen’s famed matchmaker Emma Woodhouse, a fiercely independent young woman of high social standing.

"Emma" is set in a world of rules, hierarchy and societal expectations, but like Netflix’s smash hit "Bridgerton," the production casts a modern eye to themes like women’s rights, class dynamics and individual agency that make it relevant to contemporary audiences.


*two actors hold hands on stage in "Emma" — The cast of this modernized “Emma” includes Drew Okoye as the titular matchmaking busybody and Ilana Mongilio as her sweet and impressionable friend, Harriet Smith.*



**Sidebar note:**

“Emma” runs through Oct. 10 in the Kay Theatre. Tickets are available on [The Clarice’s website](https://theclarice.umd.edu/events/2024/emma).





**Topics:** [Arts & Culture](https://today.umd.edu/tags/arts-culture)


**Tags:** [Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies](https://today.umd.edu/topic/theatre-dance-performance-studies), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience), [Arts](https://today.umd.edu/topic/arts)


**Units:** [Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center](https://today.umd.edu/topic/clarice-smith-performing-arts-center), [College of Arts and Humanities](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-arts-and-humanities)