“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”
— Lizzy Bennet
The Bennet daughters are stubborn, idealistic, spirited and sometimes nosy. They are also unmarried, which, in the early 19th-century world of “Pride and Prejudice,” is a problem. None can inherit the family estate.
And so their mother, Mrs. Bennet, arranges for them to meet Mr. Bingley, a wealthy young bachelor who has let the neighboring property. Jane, Lydia and Mary ready for the dance, but sharp-tongued Lizzy wants no part of this marriage plot — and less of awkward Mr. Darcy, Bingley’s even wealthier friend.
“Lizzy is the rebel,” said William Whitaker, a professor of practice in drama in WashU’s Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences, who will direct Kate Hamill’s recent adaptation of the Jane Austen classic in Edison Theatre beginning Friday, Oct. 25.
“Lizzy declares that she’ll never wed,” Whitaker said. “She doesn’t want some rich guy to save her. She’s not interested in playing the game.”
Contemporary lessons
If William Shakespeare invented the romantic comedy, Austen’s heroines — smart, willful and chafing against societal restriction — brought to the genre a feminist sensibility. Hamill’s adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice,” which debuted in 2017, is at once sly and boisterous, condensing 61 chapters into a pair of brisk, occasionally anachronistic acts filled with rapid-fire dialogue.
Whitaker noted that in many ways, Hamill’s script reflects her background in regional and off-Broadway theater. “Doubling and tripling roles … That’s a wonderful way to save a lot of money,” he said with a laugh. But when the PAD held auditions earlier this fall, enthusiastic turnout led Whitaker to simply cast one actor per part (an approach that Hamill also endorses).
The WashU production retains Hamill’s irreverent staging, with characters arriving and departing from unexpected directions, as well as her thoughtful cross-gender casting. Some roles are specified for male-presenting actors, some for female-presenting actors, and some — like Lizzy’s best friend, Charlotte, and the long-suffering Mr. Bennet — may be played by either.
The production also embraces an impish, “Bridgerton”-like use of pop culture. Silk dresses are paired with Converse high tops.
“We’re using period music and costumes but adding our own contemporary touches,” Whitaker said. “There’s a sense of — Wait, did I really see that? What is going on here?
“It’s going to be a wild ride,” Whitaker added. “The humor is skewering — playful, not vituperative — and the contemporary lessons are front and center.” Hamill, like Austen, “bats away the stupidities of arrogant men.”
“If this show has a rallying cry,” Whitaker concluded, “it’s, ‘Be who you need to be.’”
Cast and crew
The cast of 17 is led by Hope McKinney as Lizzy Bennet and Tristan Dumas as Mr. Darcy. Chethan Chandra and Ellen Schaaf are Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Parker Lesher, Gus Lookingbill and Leo Young are Jane, Mary and Lydia Bennet. Cole Becker is Mr. Bingley.
Christopher Aung is the roguish Wickham. Trinity Weinhaus is the pompous Mr. Collins. Alexa Wells is the snobbish Miss Bingley. Stella Larson and Ava Wang are the sickly Miss De Bourgh and her overbearing mother, the Lady Catherine De Bourgh. Ella Sherlock is Charlotte Lucas. Rounding out the cast, in a variety of supporting roles, are Tom Meng, Clara Nipper and Cameron Tollefson.
Scenic design and projection design are by Katie Plum. Costume designer is Dominique (Nikki) Green. Lighting and sound design are by Caroline McNinch and Sean M. Savoie. Props are by Emily Frei. The stage manager is Seamus Curtin, with assistance from Clara Erdelac and AJ Harness.
Tickets
Performances of “Pride and Prejudice” will take place in WashU’s Edison Theatre beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25 and 26; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. Performances will continue the following weekend, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2; and at 2 p.m. Nov. 3.
Edison Theatre is located in the Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6465 Forsyth Blvd. Tickets are $20, or $15 for seniors, students and WashU faculty and staff, and free for WashU students. Tickets are available through the Washington University Box Office. For information, call 314-935-6543 or visit pad.wustl.edu.
