All the village maidens are besotted with Reginald Bunthorne, a brooding “aesthetic” poet who claims to suffer exquisitely for his art. There’s just one problem: it’s all an act. Bunthorne doesn’t even like poetry–he just likes the attention. The only woman immune to his charms is the sweet, simple milkmaid Patience, who believes love must be completely selfless.

Complicating matters further, Patience is in love with her childhood friend Archibald Grosvenor, who is a true poet and, unfortunately, far too perfect to be married (at least in Patience’s eyes). Meanwhile, the serious and decidedly not poetic Heavy Dragoon Guards, once engaged to the swooning village maidens, find themselves suddenly abandoned in favor of flowery verse, languid poses, and a whole lot of aesthetic angst.

Patience is one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most successful operettas. It’s a rollicking satire that gleefully pits the straight-laced ideals of the Victorian era against the passions and indulgences of the 1870s Aesthetic Movement. With sparkling wit, infectious music, and plenty of absurdity, Patience proves that taking oneself too seriously is always a recipe for trouble.

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The Summer Operetta features performances by emerging artists as well as community members. Performers from a wide range of backgrounds come together to present a Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta and provide entertainment for the Norman and wider Oklahoma Community.