by Deanna Dement Myers
‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Kate Hamill, adapted from the novel by Jane Austen. Directed and Choreographed by Birgitta Victorson; Set Design by Michael McGarty; Costume Design by Olivera Gajic; Lighting Design by Dawn Chiang; Sound Design by Broken Chord Voice; and Dialect Coaching by Candice Brown Production Stage Managed by Meg Tracy Leddy. Performance through Nov. 4 at Trinity Rep., 201 Washington St., Providence.
“I love balls.”
So sighs the delightful Katie Croyle, who plays Lydia, the wild, youngest daughter of the Bennet family as she contemplates the upcoming party in their English neighborhood. This overshadows the traditional opening line (“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”) and signals that there might be a contemporary spin on this classic tale of manners, misunderstanding, and proper matches.
Double entendres abound in Trinity Rep’s season opener, Pride and Prejudice. This adaptation of the Jane Austen novel by playwright Kate Hamill makes no bones about presenting a version for an audience who might have only read the wiki instead of the full novel. The campy style of this farce however, while entertaining, short changes the some of the subtle wit and satire present in the original text.
Double casting, gender reversal, and anachronistic musical numbers are also employed in an attempt to differentiate this adaptation from the countless others in the 200 years since this novel was written. The extraordinarily talented cast of eight is able to make this work for the most part, with real moments of brilliance in the diametrically opposed characterizations, which no doubt was a conscious choice of director/choreographer Birgitta Victorson. The contrast between the aloof and prideful Darcy, and the insouciance playboy Wickham, both artfully played by Rachel Warren, stands out in particular.
Indeed, roles that are cast in a different gender garner both the most laughs – Joe Wilson, Jr.’s drag take on Caroline Bingley which deserves its own cabaret – and the most sympathy, as when we grasp the pragmatic choice of the luckless Charlotte Lucas as poignantly portrayed by Richard Donnelly. Both of these actors manage to read female without mocking or mincing. The dignity they brought to the characters was unexpected, given the amount of humorous intent in the script.
The only actor with one role is Rebecca Gibel who plays the lead, Lizzy. Her headstrong and stubborn attitude leads to misunderstandings between her and Darcy, and the tension between them provides a balance to the slapstick physical comedy of the rest of the cast. Gibel has her moments of hilarity with Wilson’s other character, Mr. Collins, whose inability to understand that his superior social standing does not give him access to women who are not interested in him, is unsettling this close to the Brett Kavanaugh news cycle.
The two and half hour production has a quick pace, and the actors switch between roles deftly. Angela Brazil is both Mary and Mr. Bingley, sometimes within the same scene. Her deadpan characterization of the plain sister, Mary, contrasted so sharply with the charming and romantic Bingley, that it took me half the play to realize they were the same actor. Shelley Fort and Janice Duclos also performed amiably well, with earnest interpretations of the rest of the major characters. They manage to show the fierce and often frustrating love the Bennet family has for each other.
Those familiar with this beloved story will not find this adaptation wanting. The era in which the novel was written had different expectation of gender roles than we do today, and the bold casting asks us to question whether this is important in a story of love, economics and family. For tickets and information: Call (401) 351-4242, or visit trinityrep.com
