Pride and Prejudice
Reviewed by Natalie Shaw
Stillwater, Oklahoma, at OSU, where I studied Theatre, is about five and half hours away from Kilgore, Texas. I made this journey two different times during my junior and senior years of college to audition for Texas Shakespeare Festival. I auditioned for Raymond Caldwell, who was the founder of TSF. I approached my craft with confidence and a steady hand, but, being a mere twenty-one years old, I knew I was entering a new element. After my first year's audition, he simply thanked me for coming and I didn't receive a callback. The second year, he took a little more time. I was dumbfounded to hear him speak directly to me from the house. Again, there was no call back, but I will always remember being gifted with great advice from a master at work, and that is respectably uplifting. Of course, I didn't only come to audition, but to see the productions! Since audition dates didn't always correspond with performance dates, I usually chose to come back to Kilgore. I did my best to see two shows, whenever possible. Since TSF is a repertory Theatre company, staying only ONE night in a hotel sets you up to see FOUR productions, if you so choose.
Pride and Prejudice is the production that I was able to see, this time around. And, I couldn't have been more thrilled! Jane Austen has been a favorite author of mine for most of my life. The story was adapted by Melissa Leilani Larson for the live stage, and impressively so! Jane Austen gives us a lot of text to dissect and Leilani Larson manages to condense the material into a two hour play without sacrificing the much-needed detail. Director Susan Felder cleverly shines light upon the characters and their relationships within the story, strengthening the dynamics among them and the context of the written text. One example that comes to mind is a simple "ding" of a small bell, that imitates a spark or twinkle when Mr. Darcy (played expertly by Travis Ascione) and Elizabeth Bennet (played elegantly by Alice Wilkinson) first catch one others' eye. This simple sound immediately draws our attention to the couple, as if to invite us along their journey. Next, I recall the chaotic mess of a dance performed by Mr. Collins (as played by Micah Goodding) in Act One, during his attempt to woo Elizabeth. This moment is full of wonderful hilarity and delicious awkwardness; one that looks as if it took hours to imperfect, but is performed with such stunning attention to detail. I wish I could rewind it and watch it over and over again! I imagine the stage directions read something like, "Mr. Collins performs an awkward dance," and, oh boy, did he ever! Goodding flawlessly maintains the hubris that Mr. Collins possess, while perfectly calculating the miscalculated steps, revealing the audacity that is his character.
Character relationships are made prominent in this production, emphasizing friendships, romantic interests, family relationships and how they influence one another. Each character is visibly involved in a ying-yang fellowship. Most evidently in Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, in which Mr. Bingley is optimistic, lovesick and hopeful, while Mr. Darcy comes across as pessimistic, apathetic about love and misunderstood. Likewise, Charlotte (played by TSF's accomplished Artistic Director and long-standing company member, Meaghan Simpson) views marriage as a contract and love as an afterthought, while Elizabeth views love and affection as the predecessor of marital commitment. Even bumbling Mr. Collins has an opposite in the prestigious Lady Catherine de Bourgh (played delightfully by Deychen Volino-Gyetsa.)
Within these character relations, the act of comparison adds fuel to the many fires circling the borders of the overarching story. Siblings rival, lovers quarrel, and neighbors compete for match point, all in the name of superiority and presumption! For example, Mrs. Bennet, played splendidly by Sasha Hildebrand, adores comparing her daughters to one another, as many familiar mothers do. The youngest daughter, Lydia (played excellently by Jo Garcia-Reger) is the apple of her eye and surely the most demanding of her attention, leaving daughter, Kitty (who was the youngest, herself, prior to Lydia's birth,) competing for her rightful place in line. Kitty, played splendidly by Sophia Yastrebov, ignorantly mimics the behavior of her immature sister, in attempts to capture mother's favor. Secondly, Mr. Darcy declares his love for Elizabeth. He does so "against [his] better judgement," as he states, given the "inferiority of [her] birth by rank and circumstance," idiotically assuming that Elizabeth would be agreeable to this notion, and therefore, placing his own rank and circumstance high above hers. Elizabeth, being of headstrong courage will have none of this nonsense, and rightfully puts him in his place, jeopardizing her own future to maintain her dignity. Finally, Mr. Collins has placed Lady Catherine de Bourgh in such high esteem over himself, encouraging his lap-doggish affections for her while simultaneously treating him like a servant in her high court. Nevertheless, Mr. Collins naively accepts any attention by her as sincerely favorable, thus demoting his character even more so. Our narrative will not end in fairness for all, nor will it leave us with many answered questions, but we are left with a strong sense of hope for all involved, which is a comforting thought, indeed! Much like Shakespeare, Jane Austen ends her comedy on a high note and with a few weddings in place.
When it comes to expert, professional Theatre, Texas Shakespeare Festival sets the standard! It is unlike anything else available in Texas; the status of talent, skill and familial community among artists has no comparable match. Indeed, there are professional theaters in Texas, but I assure you, none of this caliber. For those of us who are serious artists in the nearby regions, be mindful of this! We should all settle in and embrace the opportunities in front of us, not only to enjoy this festival of plays, but to study what's so easily available to us! This is our chance to observe talent from all over the nation; review some of the very best in the business and we should be packing the house, adopting techniques and sharpening our skills! For the mainstream theatergoer, you will be so very much welcomed, entertained and impressed by what you experience. TSF Guild offers a special recognition, just for you; an adorable gift shop has TSF novelty items for your souvenir collections and the peaceful Shakespeare Garden is located on site for you to enjoy. To plan a fun-filled weekend away in East Texas read my newest blog: Such Fun in East Texas! Visit texasshakespeare.com for show and ticket information!
Running Time: 2 hours with a 20 minute intermission
Accessible Seating: Available
Sensory Friendly Showing: Available with all showings due to more ample lighting in the house, actor projection as opposed to microphones, and accessibility to main lobby at all times.
ASL Showing: Not Available
Hearing Devices: Available
Noises or Visuals to Prepare For: Actors who play younger girls may startle some patrons while portraying excited behavior.
Y'all Enjoy!
Owner, Operator and Editor in Chief
Dallas Theatre Journal
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