I recently got to see Pride & Prejudice (adapted as a play) at South Coast Repertory. (Sep 9, 2011 - Oct 9, 2011)
Let me start out by saying I am not familiar with the story; I've never read the book and I haven't seen the British mini-series with Colin Firth. I did seen the Kiera Knightly movie once, and while I did enjoy it, I didn't fall in love with the story.
I think that is my impression after having seen this production as well. I enjoyed the story, but I'm not in love with it. My Mom, who came with me to see it said the play got all the important parts of the story, but it moved rather fast. Even moving fast, the show was 2 hours and 30 minutes.
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Claire Kaplan
in South Coast Repertory's
2011 production of
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen.
Photo by Henry DiRocco/SCR.
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~ The punk rock girl reading the book on stage, discovering the story for the first time. It was awesome to see her watching the story come to life in front of her.
~ All of the actors gave an excellent, vibrant performance, as always.
~ The set was unique and interesting: A simple wall at the back of the stage with projections of the various rooms and outdoor locations as the scenes changed. The furniture was sparse, just enough to suggest each location, usually a few chairs and a piano-forte.
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Dana Green, Katie Willert,
Amalia Fite, Rebecca Lawrence,
and Elizabeth Nolan
in South Coast Repertory's
2011 production of
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen.
Photo by Ben Horak/SCR.
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Things I didn't like:
~ The costumes for the Bennett sisters were too simple and colorless, in my opinion. They looked as if they were wearing nightgowns the entire show.
~ Mr. Darcy's demeanor changed drastically from the first act to the second, once Elizabeth has started getting to know who he really is. For me, it was a shock, he didn't even seem like the same person anymore.
~ The black jean vest that Elizabeth wore sometimes. It was a total mismatch for the time period. But afterwards, on the way home from the theatre, it occurred to me that perhaps Punk Rock Girl was also wearing a similar vest, which gave symbolism to Elizabeth wearing the vest too. Perhaps Punk Rock Girl saw herself as Elizabeth? It would also explain the bright, fluorescent colors used for some of the ball gowns and other accessories.
Bottom line for me, personally: This play was fun to watch but I wasn't overly impressed.
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