From Staff Reports 

The Multiverse Theatre Collective, a new Asheville-based theater company, will make its local debut with a production of “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 and 18 and at 3 p.m. Dec. 19 at Be Be Theatre at 20 Commerce St. in downtown Asheville.

The play is billed as a charming family comedy that takes place two years after the events of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” (That romance novel, laced with satire, was published in 1813.) 

Showgoers do not have to be familiar with the novel to enjoy the antics of these eccentric families, according to the production’s creators, Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon.

The plot center around the bookish middle sister Mary Arthur as its unlikely heroine. Mary is growing tired of her role as dutiful middle sister in the face of her siblings’ romantic escapades. When the family gathers for Christmas at Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley Estate, an unexpected guest sparks Mary’s hopes for independence, an intellectual match and possibly even love.

The Multiverse Theatre Collective seeks to focus on producing ensemble works by modern playwrights, as well as to foster a spirit of collaboration between Asheville-based theater artists.

For tickets, which are $20 in advance (and $22 at the door), visit online https://www.facebook.com/MultiverseTheatreCollective, or call 423-3164.