By VERONIQUE DUPREY
A Seat on the Aisle
On Thursday’s cold winter night, I accepted an invitation to a Regency Ball … or at least to seeing one, in the final dress rehearsal of Pride @ Prejudice, “a witty and romantic retelling of Jane Austen’s classic,” at Center Stage Community Theatre in Lebanon.
I was familiar with the original story of the Bennett sisters and their love interests, and was glad to revisit them. This adaptation by Daniel Elihu Kramer is a fast-paced affair in which five actors play all the roles, as well as narrate, question, or expand as modern-day students, scholars, and Ms. Austen herself.
Being already familiar with the story certainly helps to follow along. A short primer: as was customary for the time, a mother tries her best to get her daughters married off to secure their future, while they navigate hidden feelings, half-truths and chance meetings with potential paramours too many to mention. Many characters mingle, some dance, and though several proposals occur, few declare their love clearly.
A scene from Center Stage’s Pride @ Prejudice. (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
The script packs all the essential points of Pride and Prejudice, along with some letters from Jane Austen and various commentary, in a fast and furious two-and-a-half-hours (with intermission). Actors are on stage almost the entire time, in period costumes, with minimal accessories changed for different characters. While I applaud all of them for their distinct characterizations, with various accents and physicality, I was especially dazzled by the women.
Kat Krebs, excellent in The Outsider here last year, amazes in all her seven personas (Caroline Bingley and Lady De Bourgh were my personal favorites) and what must be an exhausting back-and-forth between all of them. Tanya Haas, a staple of community theater for good reason, is appropriately overbearing and embarrassing as Mrs. Bennett, in particular. And Trinity Pruitt has the privilege of “only” being a lovely Elizabeth Bennett, showing a nice range of emotions in this dream role for many young women. Adrian Blackwell commits fully to his choices for his two characters, and Todd Isaac impresses in his variety of all the remaining male roles.
Director Matt McKee and assistant director Heather McKee have put together a very good rendition of this play. Pacing is frantic in the scene and character changes, but steady and proper in the classic scenes. If I have some qualms, they are with the script itself; I did not think the study questions and explanations helped the cohesiveness of this already busy story. Nonetheless, this is a worthy and pleasant experience of a Jane Austen classic, incorporating nods and winks to famous versions – Colin Firth might even make an appearance!
I would be remiss if I did not mention a few more elements. The beautiful painted scenery by set artist Joyce Pendleton transported us to Regency England; the sound design by Alan Hershman punctuated the action humorously, and the stately dancing makes us wish we could include balls in our social calendar, thanks to choreography by Jan Jamison. I also appreciated that the theater was kept warm, even with the frigid outside temperature.
Bottom line: Make the trip to Lebanon for the romance, the expectations, the scandals, the period costumes, the details about Jane Austen’s life, and the feat of five actors portraying the whole world of Pride and Prejudice contained in Pride @ Prejudice.
Performances are Fridays through Sundays now through Dec. 21, at Center Stage Community Theatre, 604 Powell St., Lebanon. Tickets are available at maingatetickets.com/events/view/1974.
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