Wouldn’t you know it, as soon as I make the commitment to see less shows, I see one that I want to go back and see again. When I talk about pointing people towards shows that will make them want to see more theater, this is what I’m talking about. Playwright Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Pride & Prejudice condenses and changes some details but, in the most faithful was possible. What remains untouched is the spirit of Jane Austen’s novel which was written over 200 years ago but feels as if it was written only yesterday. Those unfamiliar with Austen’s works might feel as though it has been completely modernized and Miss Elizabeth Bennett may feel like a character out of time but that is simply because Austen’s writing, especially in terms of female characters, was ahead of it’s time. Director and co-Sound Designer Penelope Parsons-Lord injects the play with a healthy dose of bold and unabashed energy, utilizing pop songs with confidence. It’s the sort of staging that feels like a risk that paid off, resulting in a show that made you want to get up and join the dancing. Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a musical version of the story. The music takes place between scenes and during various Balls for the most part.

All the pop songs in the world won’t elevate a show without strong performances. Pride & Prejudice has a great cast including several new to me Actors. First and foremost without a strong Lizzy Bennett you’re lost. This production, my first stage show of Pride & Prejudice, though I’ve seen several screen adaptation, features what might possibly be my favorite Lizzy. Eva Gemlo’s performance as Lizzy is sublime, the perfection of which cannot be overstated. It’s a performance perfectly attuned to Theater in the Round’s intimate space. Relying as much on subtle facial expressions and body language as it does on line readings. Gemlo projects Lizzy’s intelligence, wit, and independent spirit while also inviting the audience into her inner feelings, key to building that moment of vicarious joy one feels when Austen’s characters finally realize and find their love. The entire cast is strong including Luke Langfeldt who gets the duality of Mr Darcy. It’s key that we find him as arrogant as Lizzy does in the beginning, and equally as key that we buy the characters growth and are excited by the change in their feelings towards each other. With a knowing nod to the famous Colin Firth performance, he gets his own dripping wet shirt scene. There are some great comic performances, that bring out the playwright and Directors comedic flourishes. Mary Lofreddo plays Miss de Bourgh whose face we never see but whose expressive black rubber gloved hands look like something out of a horror film. Michael Hundevad plays Mr. Bingley as if he were a puppy dog, an aspect played up with a ball as his favorite prop. But the standout of the supporting Actors is Stephanie Kahle as Mary Bennett. Kahle’s expressive eyes are fixed in a hard stare, creating a sense of uneasiness in the her fellow characters whom she is constantly startling. Much humor is derived from Kahle’s unpredictable and often clueless behavior as Mary.

Theatre in the Round’s production of Pride & Prejudice is a high-spirited and fast paced comedy with heart. Fans of Austen’s work will be thrilled by the production which ramps up the humor without losing a bit of the heart that is so crucial to Austen’s work. It’s also a great gateway show to people who don’t normally attend theater or think they wouldn’t enjoy a Jane Austen adaptation. This will shatter an audiences own prejudices about what a romantic play set in the early 1800’s will look like. I strongly encourage the bringing of teenagers and young adults who maybe haven’t been exposed to theater. This is the kind of show that often leads to regular theater attendance. Pride & Prejudice runs through October 5th at Theatre in the Round Players in Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatreintheround.org/prideandprejudice/

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Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon is the third and final entry in the Christmas at Pemberley cycle of plays that revisits the Bennet family from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The other two plays Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley and The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley were performed in 2022 and 2023 at Lyric Arts. Now if you didn’t see the previous plays I can assure you that you will not be lost. They are designed to be seen as individual plays, seeing the others allows you to see how they all fit together, but is entirely unnecessary. That said if you can see the others anywhere now or in the future do so! I love all three of these plays and will see them again and again. When you see as many plays as I do in a year the ones you saw last Christmas become fairly hazy. I saw Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley at the Jungle Theater in 2022 and loved it loved the cast, this production just obliterated any memory I had of it. The cast of this production is astonishingly great. There isn’t a look or a line reading, whether it be comedic or heartfelt, that isn’t done to perfection! Whatever magic Jane Austen had, she has passed on to Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon because I get the same tears of boundless joy whether I’m experiencing Austen’s works or theirs. They capture the exact same emotional response, which is a swell of overwhelming happiness.

This story focuses on Georgiana Darcy, Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, and Kitty Bennet, Lizzy Darcy’s youngest sister. It’s their turn to find and possibly lose love. The two girls have become the best of friends and spend much of their time together. For Georgiana, love comes in the person of Henry Grey whom she has only met once after a piano recital but has been corresponding with via letters for almost a year and has invited him to visit on Christmas. They both have fallen in love with each other through their letters and a shared passion for music. When they finally meet again at Pemberley, they are both so shy it will require their friends and family to get them to come out and tell each other how they feel. Accompanying Henry is his friend Thomas O’Brien who is instantly smitten with Kitty. So now we have the two pairs of lovers and in true Austen form, there will be letters that reveal secrets, arranged engagements, and meddlesome siblings. The hazards are many, not the least of which is Mr. Darcy who by the end of Act I will have seemingly torpedoed the match between Henry and Georgiana. Act II takes place about six years later on another Christmas and I’ll be damned if I didn’t want to stand up and shout “It’s a Christmas Miracle!” at the end. There was always a message in the script about gender equality and the reality of the lives of women at that time in history, but it feels even more timely and urgent than it did just two years ago.

I know what a third of you are saying, “it’s a chick play”. First of all, I don’t think you should say that, I know what you mean, but it sounds kinda derogatory. Secondly, no it isn’t. Steel Magnolias is a chick play, a very good one by the way. But Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley is a universal play, it is concerned with love, that is an emotion that all genders have experience of. So mothers, girlfriends, and wives don’t be afraid to take the men in your lives to this, and men don’t be put off by Jane Austen or showing an emotion now and then. I promise you will laugh, you may cry, and in the end you will not regret the two hours you spent in the theater. In fact this is the kind of show that will have you asking next year “So is anyone doing one of those Christmas at Pemberley again this year? I’d go with you if you wanted to go.” While we are on the topic of next year, though maybe this is a two year away thing. Some theater company, the Jungle Theater or Park Square perhaps needs to make the bold decision to produce the entire trilogy in Rep. That would be amazing, let’s get to work on that shall we? While we are planning that I’d like to suggest that you sign up Marci Lucht to direct it as she did and absolutely phenomenal job with this production at Lyric Arts. There is an interlude at the opening of Act II that acts as a dialogue free exploration into the minds of the characters, showing through movement a combination of what is in the characters hearts and the passage of those six years. It’s inspired bit that I don’t think is scripted, but that was beautiful in execution, like the set had come alive and we are watching a ballet of pillars.

I’ve already praised the entire cast so I’ll try not to go on too long and mention everyone, but I have to make a few remarks. Morgan Kempton and Waverly Ann McCollum play Georgiana and Kitty respectively and you couldn’t ask for better leads. Kempton, uses her characters quiet demeanor in the first act to express her uncertainty and then modifies the same quality in Act II to show an inner strength determination. McCollum shows Kitty to be insightful and energetic, her leaps over the bench in Act I showcase her energy and youthfulness and get a nice laugh. Grace Klapak who is returning to the role of Lydia perfectly plays the least endearing character Austen ever created. Klapak is spot on in her portrayal, she carries herself perfectly, slouching when bored pumping herself up when she wants to be noticed. She knows exactly how far to take it so we understand everyone’s annoyance with her, without actually becoming annoying to us, but rather coaxing laughs from us with her characters unpleasant characteristics. Noah Hynick, frankly I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hynick be anything but perfect in a role. I’m not sure how Lyric Arts seems to have him under exclusive contract, after a performance like this I ask myself again, why isn’t this guy cast in everything at the Guthrie. He is as gifted in his gestures and reactions as he is in his line reading choices. The first time I can remember coming across Mr. Hynick was in 2022 when he appeared in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Lyric Arts and since it feels like he’s been in most of Lyric Arts productions, his timing is unerring, and it’s time to officially add him to the must see list, though he was already there to be honest. William Edson plays Mr. Grey which was the one role I can clearly remember from the Jungle Theater production. It was the first time I really took note of Dustin Bronson because he was amazing, I can’t say that Edson was better, but I can say he was as good! Lastly, I loved seeing Faith Winship as Elizabeth Darcy, she made a strong impression last year in a couple of shows, The Marvelous Wonderettes and She Loves Me, I hope to see more of her soon.

Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley runs through December 22nd at Lyric Arts in Anoka. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.lyricarts.org/georgiana-and-kitty

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