Reviewed
by Marie J. Kilker
Why commission yet another new version of Jane Austen's best known, often adapted novel? Maybe because it's part of a Sarasota-Manatee counties-wide project to get everyone to read, analyze, discuss, and enjoy a single classic work in all its forms. Here a drama goes, as the project's name insists, "Beyond the Book." But actually, Catherine Sheehy's undistinguished rearranging of Austen's words and simplistic editing and insertions come to little more than bits of direct-to-the-audience narration introducing or commenting upon dramatized scenes. The "more" is added by director Mark Rucker and choreographer Michele Lynch in the form of dances that allow for conversations, visualizations of relationships, and changes in mood and modes of action. All well and good, dramatic movement is nevertheless more than matched in effectiveness by that of scenery and props. I can recall teaching the book Pride and Prejudice in Freshman English; this production would be an appropriate "text" for Furniture Moving 101.
Kate
Hampton as
Elizabeth steps downstage center to key the story as one of five sisters whose
fluttery mother Mrs. Bennett (Sharon Spelman, wonderful at being
long-suffering) is obsessed with getting them well married off. The favorite of
her bookish father (believable Douglas Jones), Elizabeth stands out in wit
and will, made obvious by her tailored denim-blue dress when every other woman
is in frilly white or pastels. (Katherine Roth's costumes lack Asolo Rep's
usual savoir faire.) None of the sisters bear familial resemblance, and as the
eldest and Elizabeth's favorite, Jane, sweet Alix McEachern Jones is hard to tell apart from the
youngest, rash Lydia (flirtily played by Olivia D'Ambrosio as a disaster waiting to
happen). Since early 19th century English law passed inheritance of estate to
the next male kin, Mrs. Bennett feels at the mercy of boring Minister Collins
(caught in all his obsequiousness by David Breitbarth). She's reserved Jane for rich
Bingley (whom Jaime Tintor brings out as a nice guy) , having taken a nearby
manor retreat from London. His friend Darcy (stiff but handsome hulk John
Pasha) not only
seems to be proudly disdainful of Elizabeth but also an accomplice, with
sophisticated Kris Danford's catty Caroline Bingley, in keeping her brother away
from Jane. The unlikely bonding of Elizabeth and Darcy is underscored by the
lack of chemistry between Hampton and Pasha.
Against
adversity and adversaries Elizabeth scores one triumph after another. She has
to fend off her mother's endorsed proposal from Mr. Collins, who turns to her
best friend Charlotte. (Jenn Walker keeps Charlotte dignified as she reasons her
acceptance.) Elizabeth almost gets sidetracked romantically and in her perception
of what Darcy is really like by the treacherous Mr. Wickham, embodied with
deceptive charm by Bryant Richards. Before she learns the truth, leading her to see that
mutual love with Darcy is neither improbable or impossible, she also has to
deal with his imperious aunt, Carolyn Michel's crusty, autocratic Lady
Catherine de Bourgh.
In scenes that move as quickly as the scenery -- although action seems so slow --
minor characters like the other Bennett sisters, Darcy's sister, and sundry
relatives of the principals' families appear as if footnotes. The script and
production remain so bookish except for the dance that one wonders how much
they offer audiences "Beyond the Book." In my view, they offer less.
Of course, that could be a strategy to send one back to Jane Austen's work
itself. A fine second choice would be a video of the BBC series starring
Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.
Asolo
Rep, which commissioned the script for this "world premiere"
adaptation, has Michael Donald Edwards as its Producing Artistic Director. Designers
were: for the effective Sound and Composition, Fabian Obispo; for Scenic Design, Aleksandra
Maslik, with
Lighting by James D. Sale.