It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen remains one of the greatest novelists in the English language. While many of us first encounter Austen through Hollywood adaptations of her stories that push them into the realm of rom-com (and, let’s face it, who doesn’t love a good rom-com?), the novels themselves are insightful, dramatic, and ironic portraits of social class and gender norms in 19th century British society. Masterfully, she draws her characters with such absolute clarity and makes their inner worlds so staggeringly real to us that we can see ourselves in them even now, two-hundred years after they were originally created.
I’m a fan.
Which is why I’m very excited to be part of the team bringing Price & Prejudice to life this fall at Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier, Vermont. I’ll be playing Lizzy Bennet’s sidekick, Charlotte Lucas, and the patriarch, Mr. Bennet, in Kate Hamill‘s wild and farcical adaptation, wherein eight actors play sixteen characters (not including the puppets!), and which brings forward both the absurdities of the rigid social hierarchy of the time and the characters’ struggles to find real love and connection – romantic and familial – within those strict structures.
You don’t want to miss the chance to see this talented cast in action! — fast-paced action! The show runs October 3-20 at Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier, Vermont. Visit their site for ticketing and other information.
ABBY PAIGE 