THE ARTS ETC

________________________________________________________________

Chester Theatre Company

Byam Stevens, Artistic Director

presents

The East Coast Premiere of

pride@prejudice

aa romantic Deconstruction

from Jane Austen and the Internet

by

Daniel Elihu Kramer

 j

JULY 6 - 17, 2011

CAST

(in order of speaking)

AUBREY SAVERINO

GISELA CHIPE

JAY STRATTON

MICHELE TAUBER

COLIN RYAN

SsSet Design - MATTHEW RICHARDS 

Lighting Design - LARA DUBIN

ostume Design - HEATHER CROCKER AULENBACK

Sound Design - TOM SHREAD

  Stage Manager - RHONDA PICOU

DIRECTED

by

RON BASHFORD

 

REVIEWED BY DONNA BAILEY-THOMPSON

What perennially distinguishes Chester Theatre Company’s productions from other summer fare is exemplified by their season opener, the East Coast premiere of the Jane Austen classic, pride@prejudice, that carries the subtitle, a Romantic Deconstruction from Jane Austen and the Internet by Daniel Elihu Kramer.

Thursday’s sold out matinee charmed an audience that responded to every nuance, of which there were many in 1796 when Austen began writing this romance that respects society’s restrictive conventions. Really, it’s a wonder anyone managed to find an even half-way decent mate because clear verbal communication was swaddled within layers of posturing, off-putting half truths, and further complicated, if on the path to spinsterhood, by fears of destitution.


The Bennett mother (superbly captured by Michele Tauber) of five marriageable daughters states in her unfiltered, throwaway style that “one should know as little as possible about the defects of the man you’ll marry.” When daughter Elizabeth declares she will turn down a marriage proposal, a frantic Mrs. Bennett threatens, "If you don't accept, I will never see you again!" But when Mr. Bennett is consulted, he tells Elizabeth, “I’ll never see you again if you do!”

Crisply, sensitively and lovingly directed by Ron Bashford, the overt along with the unspoken dialog sparkles with innuendo and sudden thought (there are enough pregnant pauses to skew census statistics). From the instant, mutual dislike of Elizabeth for Mr. Darcy and vice versa, their changing degrees of bristly separation through softened curiosity about the other are transmitted, wordlessly, within a budding awareness of each other’s attractive characteristics. The pacing of the moments is indicative of Bashford’s attention to even the smallest detail.

Playwright Daniel Elihu Kramer has tread respectfully on Jane Austen’s hallowed ground. His “deconstruction” flows as surely as its revered novel which has already been subjected to many interpretations. (Please see notes following this review.) Unlike what struck me as a hamfisted deconstruction of The 39 Steps, Kramer’s script honors Austen’s writing, and the occasional breaks in the fourth wall happen appropriately, naturally, and with great good humor, i.e., total silliness that entices the audience to set aside any of its reserved limitations.

The logistics boast of “five actors playing over 30 roles.” With body English, voice level and delivery, each actor swivels smoothly from one character into the others stacked within his/her quiver, each character fully drawn. The only drawback, with the exception of actor Tauber, is not knowing from the program until too late which stage names go with which characters.

Aubrey Saverino and Gisela Chipe split, most notably, sisters Jane and Elizabeth; among others, Jay Stratton and Colin Ryan delineate Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bennett. Austen’s leading characters are all there. They’ve stepped out of the novel’s pages, not the least bit dusty, and filled the stage with vibrant life.
And, they have accomplished this by making it look as effortless as slurping duck soup – polished performances that appear to be spontaneous.

The stylized set suggests a library awash with pastels and/or a maze that gently guides its visitors. Pointed out at the TalkBack were the pixel characteristics of sunny day clouds. Matthew Richards’ set design proves Ms Austen’s novel is as new as today. Lara Dubin’s lighting design is appropriately subtle as are the sounds designed by Tom Shread. Heather Crocker Aulenback’s costume designs are timely and multi-adaptable. With this production’s never-a-dull nano second, Stage Manager Rhonda Picou has more than earned her keep.

With pride@prejudice, Artistic Director Byam Stevens has mounted the first of four productions – “Classic Stories/Contemporary Voices” – that demonstrate, again, that long, New England winters are doable when the summer stage in Chester delivers such a charming, first-class production. Even on the few occasions when I've been less than thrilled with a play, I could count on at least one ingredient to stimulate a synapse.

 

__________________

An Incomplete List of other Adaptations of Pride and Prejudice

1940 movie (black & white) and its 1989 video starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier.

(Some wag wrote, "Mrs. Bennet, surely, is W. C. Fields in drag.")

1959 musical, "First Impressions," starring Farley Granger as Mr. Darcy

1995 TV mini-series with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy

2005 BBC Movie with Colin Firth as who else.

2005 Movie. Donald Sutherland's line as Mr. Bennett, "I'll never see you again if you do!" rings true.

Somewhere in the mix was a TV series, "Wishbone,"starring a Jack Russell terrier

whose Pride and Prejudice segment was entitled, "Furst Impressions."

NEXT

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

July 20 - 31

THE TURN OF THE SCREW

August 3-14

WITTENBERG

August 17 - 28

 


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