By Jessica Kennedy.
Who among us lovers of theater and the written word have not read— or at least valiantly attempted to read— Jane Austen’s classic novel, Pride and Prejudice? While I’ll admit it took me the audiobook to fully immerse myself in not only the drama, but the quick-witted humor of Austen’s brilliant story and characters, I have since become an enthusiastic Austen fan! Therefore, you must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love Theatre Three’s mainstage production of Daniel Elihu Kramer’s, Pride @ Prejudice. This clever romantic deconstruction, directed by Jeffrey Sanzel, will be performed from April 7th-May 6th in the lovely 170 year old Port Jefferson theater.
Part of what makes Austen’s body of work so fascinating is the mystery surrounding the woman who conceived it. With Jane’s sister, Cassandra, hiding or destroying most of their correspondence after her death, Jane’s life has become a source of romantic speculation. This fact is addressed directly within the play as letters from Jane to her family, facts and trivia about her life and writing, and public and academic perspectives of her work, which are cleverly woven into the fabric of the play. A troupe of five performances make up the entire ensemble (did you know that in the novel there are five Bennet sisters?) and seamlessly adapt to play multiple characters throughout the show.
All of these performers are seasoned professionals— and it really shows. Christine Boehm’s portrayal of Lizzie is both tender and tenacious. She carries the lead with poise and passion, also breaking the fourth wall at times to showcase different interpretations of her character’s lines from various film adaptations (seriously, so funny if you have seen any of the film versions!). Michelle LaBozzetta, a mainstay performer at Theatre Three, was brilliant in her ability to rapidly shift her demeanor to portray the naive and tender-hearted Jane Bennet, her boring gal of a sister Mary, the fierce and flirty Caroline Bingley, and the cruel and dispassionate Lady Catherine. Andrew Murano’s characters were varied and dynamic; they all felt uniquely humorous. Whether portraying the browbeaten and oblivious Mr. Bennet, the child-like and idealistic Mr. Bingley, or the exasperated footman, his portrayals will have you laughing aloud with him! Ashley Brooke was immensely entertaining as the tinny, keening mother of the Bennet brood, while also commanding laughs as the oppressively silent Miss de Bourgh. Her command of tone of voice, paired with her effortless physical performance, made her characters feel natural, despite their obvious hyperbole. David DiMarzo filled out the five as both the intolerable Mr. Collins and the brooding Mr. Darcy. His ability to simultaneously portray both a loquacious snob and a melancholic romantic hero are noteworthy. His Mr. Collins was as insufferable and static as his Mr. Darcy was contemplative and transformative. All together this group was playful and comedic; their delivery was energetic and engaging, and I laughed throughout the show even more than the first time I read Mr. Collin’s obtuse proposal!
This show might feel a bit geared towards readers or fans of classic novels, but it is by no means limited to an audience of book lovers. While some of the more specific jokes, comments, or lines from the original novel may be lost on someone who hasn’t read the book or seen one of the myriad movie adaptations, there is enough in the way of explanation (at one point they even provide a character map to help us through some of the more confusing chapters) to make the performance fun and enjoyable. In fact, I’d advise anyone currently trying to fulfill their New Year’s resolution to read more classics with one of Austen’s tomes to come see the show. It might make an Austen lover out of them after all. And for all of us who already love her, it is a delight to see Jane Austen’s characters alive and falling in love all over again on the modern stage.
Pride @ Prejudice is playing at Theatre Three until May 6th. For tickets contact the box office at (631) 928-9100 or click here.