Oh, Tennenbaum!
The acquisition and decoration of the family Christmas tree ranks among the most iconic American cultural traditions. But getting a tree gussied up for the holidays has a long and storied history. Spruce up your knowledge with these fast facts about fashionable firs.
- Bringing evergreen branches into the home to celebrate the winter solstice is a tradition found in many ancient cultures, including those of the Egyptians, Celts, Romans, and Scandinavians.
- The modern tradition of decorating Christmas trees is often attributed to 16th-century Germans. Martin Luther, the architect of Protestant reform, is credited as the first to adorn boughs with lighted candles and decorations, which he allegedly did as a gift to his wife honoring the glory of God’s creation in the dead of winter.
- Christmas trees in the home became a new-fangled fad in Great Britain around the turn of the 19th century. While many traditionalists initially shook their heads at the idea, by 1846 the practice had become commonplace enough that even Queen Victoria had a family portrait sketched around a Christmas tree.
- In the United States, Pennsylvania Germans had incorporated the tradition as early as the mid-1700s; however, many Christian Americans still considered it blasphemous. That is, until Queen Victoria’s indulgence made the trees socially desirable. By the 1890s, the American Christmas tree as we know it had been firmly planted in the cultural consciousness, giving rise to the intersection of sacred and secular Christmas traditions in the modern era.
Fa-La-La-Lamarck!
In this Pride and Prejudice fanfic sequel, Mary Bennet bonds with Arthur de Bourgh over an interest in the work of radical French biologist and naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829). They share a fascination with his landmark book, Zoological Philosophy (1809), which outlined his theories of the evolution of animal species. Lamarck postulated that animals evolve over time in direct relation to the environment around them, changing behaviors and bodily structures accordingly. Fifty years later, Charles Darwin would publish his On the Origin of Species. Darwin credited Lamarck as an important forerunner, but his work debunked some of Lamarck’s claims; among them, Lamarck’s rejection of a single evolutionary ancestor shared by all animals and his belief in a bodily fluid akin to a divine life force.
The Bennet sisters lived in a transitional period of innovation. Over the course of their lives, they would have experienced sweeping changes to the world, as advancements in technology, science, and scholarship irrevocably altered the way human beings lived and thought about their existence.
More about Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley:
Bridging Past and Present Through Sound
Phil Johnson, sound designer for Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, discusses the challenge of curating a period-appropriate soundtrack for a play set in 1815, while infusing it with contemporary qualities and capturing the holiday spirit.
Reviews of Miss Bennet
"Lauren Modica and Joshua J. Weinstein were a PURE DELIGHT to watch. I had all the feels. Great chemistry!"" - Audience Comment
The Armory Bar Takes on English History
The Armory Bar manager Melissa Larrabee explores what might have been served at Pemberley during a Christmas celebration, creating four new cocktails and two family-friendly mocktails to warm your hearts this festive season!
The p:ear Giving Tree
Support p:ear, a fantastic non-profit whose mission is to provide mentoring services to Portland’s homeless and parent-less young people for over 15 years.
Miss Bennet Character Breakdown
Get to know the characters of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley with this helpful guide by our literary manager, Benjamin Fainstein.
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley Cast & Creative Team
Meet the cast and creative team for Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley Plot Synopsis
Spoiler alert! Here's a plot summary for Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.
Current & Upcoming
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Adult Class : TWELFTH NIGHT, Before & After
Join veteran actor Joe Costa for a unique opportunity to take a “deep dive” into both Shakespeare’s text of Twelfth Night, and the PCS Production. Participants will read the play out loud as a group, with “intermissions” provided for lively discussion of themes and content. Interested participants will have a chance to act in selected scenes, guided by the instructor.
Improv Comedy: Love, Shakespeare
Witness the Magic of unscripted Elizabethan comedy! Step into the offbeat world of Love, Shakespeare, where seasoned Portland comedians attempt something audacious: performing a fully improvised Elizabethan play based on your suggestions!
Albina Music Trust presents A Brown Branch Christmas
Celebrate this holiday season with A Brown Branch Christmas at Portland Center Stage. Now in its fourth season, this two-night big band celebration features directors Domo Branch and Charlie Brown III guiding a heavy 15-piece lineup of regional and national musicians.
BIPOC Affinity Night DJ Party with ALoSo
Join us for a double feature BIPOC Affinity Night, featuring a live DJ set by ALoSo, plus holiday craft market vendor tables, art exhibits by Albina Music Trust Wall to Wall Sound and Jason Hill's Favorite Things, with complimentary select drinks provided by Multnomah Whiskey Library and Deschutes Brewery while supplies last.
Winter Teen Academy: Scene Work
Calling all teens! Are you looking to expand your acting skills and be the best scene partner you can be for your fellow actors? In this class, we will dig deep into scene study, character motivation, and active listening, while learning the necessary questions to ask in every rehearsal situation. You'll develop fuller characters and deeper relationships on stage by partnering in scene work — and have lots of fun too!
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
Season Superstars
Season Supporting Sponsors
