When I went to the Theater in the Round Players Inc. version of “Pride & Prejudice,” I was not expecting the amount of comedy included. This play, written by Kate Hamill and directed at TRP by Penelope Parsons-Lord, is an adaptation of the beloved 1813 novel by Jane Austen. Would Austen approve of this recreation? Probably not. But did I? Absolutely.
The play starts out with a ballroom scene. The women are blindfolded while the men are not. As an instrumental version of some modern song plays in the background, men take turns dancing with the women, spinning them around and taking off their blindfolds to lead them away. This happens again later in the show, and both times it is a bit confusing as to what they are doing.
While a less-than-clear start, the scene set up the play to be something different from the novel so many enjoy.
“Pride & Prejudice” focuses on marrying off daughters and the anticipation of losing a home when a father eventually dies. It also asks the question of whether it is best to marry for love or circumstance.
Despite the heavier themes, this version was pretty much all laughs. The original focuses on five sisters, the Bennet daughters, but this play excludes one: Catherine, also known as Kitty. In the novel, Jane, the eldest, and Elizabeth, or Lizzy, the second-eldest, are the more demure and mature ones while Mary, the middle child, is studious and awkward. Lydia, the youngest, is the family clown.
These personality traits are amped up by 1,000 in Hamill’s rendition. The entire family endlessly makes fun of Mary and screams in fright every time she appears. Lydia dissolves into giggles every five seconds. Mrs. Bennet, the well-meaning but very wacky mother, complains about her “poor nerves” much more than she does in the book.
The plot revolves around Mrs. Bennet’s wish for her daughters to be married. Many contenders are involved, named Mr. Wickham, Mr. Collins, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. Wickham is the conniving one, Collins the stupid, Darcy the prideful and Bingley the… golden retriever.
I am all for golden retriever as a funny way of describing a person, but if I were Jane Bennet in this show, I would run for my life, because Mr. Bingley, her future husband, acts like a dog, and Mr. Darcy his master.
Every time Darcy was on stage, he held a rubber ball which he would periodically throw to Mr. Bingley and the two would play catch and fetch and all sorts of games. Darcy used phrases like “sit” and “stay” to command Bingley’s attention, and it seemed as though Bingley’s every move depending on what Mr. Darcy told him to do.
The thought of precious, normal Mr. Bingley as an animal was a terrible choice. It was funny for a time, but it got old fast and annoying. I appreciate the playwright amping up the characters’ personalities, but this was too much.
With the deletion of some characters as I mentioned, Kitty is not in this version but she was not missed. In Austen’s novel, she is there to support her sister Lydia and to pine over men. Also in the novel, Mary is more of a behind-the-scenes character as well. So it is not surprising that while Kitty is taken away, her purpose is combined into Mary’s. This was artfully done in order to flesh out Mary’s character.
The play kept much of the same language as the novel. One of the best lines from the book is when Mr. Bennet says, “From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”
Proud P&P fans know that this is a line you will laugh at however many times you hear it, and I was pleased to listen to laughter ripple throughout the room.
Another great line is, “That will do extremely well, child. You have delighted us long enough,” as Mr. Bennet says to Mary while she plays the piano and shows off her less-than-ideal singing voice at a party.
However, some other stand-out lines were taken out, and this brought me great disappointment. I was dismayed that Mr. Collins’ three reasons were not part of his proposal, and that Lizzy did not tell Jane that she decided she loved Mr. Darcy after seeing the fine grounds at Pemberley. These are iconic lines, and though they don’t necessarily move the narrative in any way, they allow the reader to get a good sense of the character’s personality.
Not having these lines did not take away from the show; I just have particular feelings about which lines should have been included since they bring out Austen’s humorous side.
While the story is largely the same, some experiences were slightly different.
Lizzy seems to fall in love with Mr. Darcy faster than is portrayed in the book. She leans toward him a lot and seems to be reminding herself to stop thinking about him.
This happens a bit in the book, but actually being able to see her body language towards him is another thing. Had Lizzy’s dislike of Darcy been shown more, when Mrs. Bennet says something like, “But Lizzy hates Mr. Darcy!” at the end of the play, it would seem more truthful. However, the core theme of the “pride” of Mr. Darcy and the “prejudice” of Elizabeth were kept the same, as that is ultimately what drives them together.
The music choices for ballroom scenes and transitions were spot on. I found it funny that after Mr. Bingley is invited to call at the Bennet’s — which in that time was how you visited someone’s home — “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen played over the speakers. They also played a lot of instrumental versions of popular songs, reminiscent of the popular Netflix show “Bridgerton,” which is set in the same time period.
The script does not include a specific set of songs to be used. Instead, the production runners choose them. This is a perfect opportunity to engage pop culture with the lives of the Bennets.
The actors perfectly portrayed what was set in front of them. They don’t speak in British accents, which can take away from the charm a bit, but they embody the personalities of each of their characters so well. The humorous nature of Lizzy and her father are shown in all of the family as they mock their mother’s mention of her “poor nerves,” or roll their eyes as Lydia drools over yet another redcoat.
And of course, the theater itself makes for an interesting time; the room is a circle, and so therefore is the stage. Seating is limited, so audience members are able to hear the actors perfectly and watch from different angles while the performers move around.
The theater is a very inclusive environment in that way; everyone can see and hear those onstage because the small room allows for good acoustics and the performers make sure to face each seating section. Sometimes, the actors even come up from the aisles, so their fun Regency costumes can be viewed in full.
The performance is a good time for both hardcore “Janeites” and newcomers alike.
This is a perfect opportunity for students especially to take a break from their studies, visit a theater they may not have seen before and overall enjoy laughs and a good time.
“Pride & Prejudice” will play its final weekend at Theater in the Round Players Inc. Oct. 5.
Bridget Schmid can be reached at schm1520@stthomas.edu.
