Stage Review - Pride and Prejudice (Harlequin Productions)

Stage Review - Pride and Prejudice
Presented By: Harlequin Productions - Olympia, WA
Show Run: August 30 - September 22, 2024
Date Reviewed: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

It doesn’t seem fair, necessarily, to compare Jane Austen to William Shakespeare, at least explicitly, but when you discuss authors and our collective familiarity with them, both have to be part of the conversation. There are certainly groups that are as passionate about both writers, and the number of productions of their works are many. Pride and Prejudice, Austen’s second novel, has been made into countless films, television movies and series, and has been produced for the stage a great many times as well. Even the novel (and subsequent film) Bridget Jones’ Diary was based on Pride and Prejudice, and Lauren Gunderson based her trilogy of Christmas at Pemberley plays on the characters and settings from Austen’s work. So, it’s abundantly clear that its importance as a piece of literature has been cemented. Therefore, again like Shakespeare, when theaters look to include something like Pride and Prejudice in their season lineup, the challenge is making it unique, producing something that stands out against the plethora of other versions of the same show. That’s the challenge faced by Harlequin Productions, in putting up their version of the Kate Hamill adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, currently running on stage in Olympia through September 22 in production directed by Emily A. Rollie.

First off, I’ll preface this review by saying that my feeling about Jane Austen can be summed up by a term used by those much younger than I am, “meh”. I’ve seen many versions of the films, and other stage productions, and when I see “P & P” on a theatre’s schedule, it’s not something I might usually jump at the opportunity to see. But with that said, I will further say that I didn’t know that I could laugh so much at a piece of work based on Jane Austen, or that I could enjoy it as much as I did during Wednesday’s matinee. The design of the production isn’t anything spectacular, perhaps the word “solid” is applicable here. Jeannie Beirne’s set is good, a classic look for what I would expect from this story, and the light and sound designs (Olivia Burlingame and Gina Salerno) are nice complements to this design. The lighting, which is subtle, brighter when the larger group of characters are on stage together, and turning softer when there’s a more poignant moment happening on stage, does a nice job of focusing the audience’s attention and mood throughout the story. Meantime, the sound plays along with a lot the humor that’s found in this version, from simple things like doorbells, or the undercurrent of birds when Lizzy Bennet attempts to shut out the noise in her life, to the exceedingly creative use of bells, making the Bennet girls’ budding relationships feel like a prize fight, with every “ding” representing a new round. The standout, though, on the creative team is Melanie Ransom and her costume design. Melanie’s use of color and style to match the personalities of the characters is very nice. And when multiple characters are portrayed by one actor, the layers designed in the costumes help facilitate some pretty quick changes. For example, Brandon Riel’s three characters are all different, and all have completely different wardrobe requirements, and each costume fits the characters’ personalities perfectly, and are designed so that Brandon can make his character changes as quickly as he needs to.

Among the characters outside the Bennet family, it’s Brandon that is the most entertaining, though each character here is quite enjoyable. Especially if you are familiar with the story, you’ll appreciate how this story stays true to its plot and its heart, while making a humorous twist with it. Each character is an exaggerated version of that from the original story, each designed and presented as a caricature of their more familiar personas. It really makes this play enjoyable, and Brandon’s Mr. Wickham, Mr. Collins, and Miss Bingley are all stupendously hilarious. Each are so different from the others, different mannerisms, different personalities, and different accents. Brandon manages each so well, and on the accent side, across the board this cast is wonderful with them, credit here also to Dialect Coach Marianna de Fazio. Marianna is also very good as Mrs. Bennet, mother to sisters Lizzy, Jane, Lydia, and Mary, and fully displays her vocal acuity with her other servant-related roles. Her Mrs. Bennet is over the top in her dedication to getting her daughters married to make sure her family’s financial status is cemented for the future., and Marianna is really talented in delivering the humor and innuendo that this play has written into it, and there is quite a lot of both. That’s part of the joy of this adaptation and this production. There’s a modernization of the story that has taken place, in some of the music (just hear the classical versions of the modern songs that Mary Bennet plays on the piano), and some one liners that scream double-entendre, such as “Balls balls balls, I can’t get enough of them”.

The heart of the story, regardless of what has been done to make the story funnier or more modern, is still the Bennet sisters and their journey toward marriage, their relationships with the likes of Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Collins. At the end of the day, it’s the same story, but the way it’s presented here is surely unique, and a lot of the enjoyment comes from the exaggeration of the portrayals, and the way they’re presented, especially when the actors play multiple characters. The sisters, Ariel Rose as Jane, Kate Anders as Lizzy, Rebecca Gelzer as Lydia, and David Breyman as Mary are each played solidly. David nails the comedic aspects of this version of the sickly Mary, while also playing straight as Mr. Bingley. Ariel is solid as Jane, initially the one with the best chance to keep the family financially solvent through marriage, and Kate Anders as Lizzy is a wonderful lead, the one who is so against marriage to begin with, the one with so much pride and a decent helping of prejudice. Her delivery is excellent, and she is consistent and strong with her accent. Some of her best work is through a simple expression or lilt of her accent. Rounding out the sisters is Rebecca Gelzer as Lydia. It’s not just her Lydia that makes Rebecca’s performance memorable, it’s also her turn as Catherine de Bourgh, the famous Mr. Darcy’s beloved aunt. Again, these characters are so different, Lydia the impulsive exuberant youngest Bennet, while Catherine is the stern and gruff family matriarch/matchmaker.

There are plenty of other highlights from this cast, including Xander Layden as the stiff, stern, and serious gentleman Mr. Darcy. The exaggeration of the characteristics is what brings out the humor in this otherwise humorless character, and it’s especially good when Xander’s Darcy treats David’s Bingley like a dog (“Sit! Stay!”). And rounding out the group is Jana Tyrrell as both Mr. Bennet, the overwhelmed father of four daughters, and Charlotte Lucas, the friend of the Bennet family who exploits the challenges of women of their day marrying for money or convenience rather than love. All extremely talented and agile actors and all very nice performances.

For those unfamiliar with Pride and Prejudice, the Harlequin Productions adaptation is an entertaining introduction to a classic story. For those more familiar with the book, or the multitudes of films or stage adaptations, this is a unique and humorous twist, almost an inside joke that is at the same time a tribute, or even a love letter, to the original source material. Moreover, it’s a showcase for the amazing talent the region has in its acting corps, from individuals portraying multiple and distinct characters, to masterful delivery of dialects and nuance.

The Harlequin Productions presentation of Pride and Prejudice runs on stage in Olympia through September 22. For more information, including tickets, visit https://harlequinproductions.org/.