People's Light & Theatre to Present PRIDE & PREJUDICE, 2/26-3/30

People's Light & Theatre presents Pride & Prejudice running February 26-March 30, 2014 on the Leonard C. Haas Stage. Samantha Bellomo directs. People's Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org.

People's Light & Theatre will stage a dance-infused production of Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen's classic tale of love and manners, in a transformed Leonard C. Haas Stage starting February 26, 2014. On a dramatic set designed by Yoshinori Tanokura that uses a "tennis court" configuration, with audiences seated on both sides of an elongated stage, People's Light's Resident Director, Samantha Bellomo, will direct and choreograph Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan's adaptation of this sweepingly epic story using the structure, elegance, and joy of Regency dance.

Bellomo notes, "Regency dance patterns emulate the dating rituals of the time. They provide a microcosm for courtship and marriage - topics and concerns that drive the story. These dances will inform the world of the play by providing a framework for the production and the vocabulary for the play's transitions through time and space."

Celebrating its recent 200th Anniversary, Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice is one of the most well-known and beloved novels in the English language. Austen herself referred to it as "my own darling child." The story focuses on the scintillating and taut relationship between central characters Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, whose encounters crackle with wit, intellect, irony, and fun. Elizabeth Bennet, known for her cleverness and good sense, is the second oldest of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's five daughters. Because property rights at the time dictated that wealth could only be passed through the male line, the Bennet daughters are in serious financial and social danger. When a "single man in possession of a good fortune" moves into the neighborhood and introduces his even wealthier friend, Mr. Darcy, to the Bennet family, matters of duty, honor, and social expectations urgently collide with questions about affection, happiness, and love.

People's Light Company Members Tom Teti, Marcia Saunders, Julianna Zinkel, Susan McKey, Mary Elizabeth Scallen, and Pete Pryor join a cast of 18 to bring this celebrated piece of literature to life. People's Light Artistic Director AbiGail Adams recognizes both the advantages and challenges of doing an adaptation of a well-known piece of literature. "Everybody brings all their care, investment, and expectations of the material...Fortunately we're lucky in having Sam [Bellomo], who not only loves the novel, the clothes, the world of Jane Austen, but has the expertise to bring the vocabulary of Regency dance to this production and make a genuinely new piece of work that will engage people who love Jane Austen and people who are new to her."

People's Light continues its program called Scoop on Sundays: History, Context, and Gossip, a lively discussion before every Sunday 7 pm performance (March 2, 23, and 30). Resident Dramaturg Gina Pisasale will host an artist from the production and get the inside scoop about such things as the rehearsal and production process, design choices, and the world of the play. The program begins at 5:30 in The Farmhouse Bistro. Cost of $15 includes light fare. Call the Box Office at 610.644.3500.

People's Light is offering a new and exciting program, Sunday Teas at The Farmhouse: Entering Austen's World from 12-1:45 pm on March 9 and 16. Experience for yourself the energy and exuberance of Regency dance and savor the flavors of the era at a midday tea. Guests will learn popular dances of Jane Austen's day followed by tea and a discussion with artists involved in the production. Cost is $30. Call the Box Office at 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org to purchase.

Enjoy a prix fixe dinner and a show package for $70 (Wed, Thurs, Sat matinee, Sun eve) and $80 (Fri, Sat eve, Sun matinee) at The Farmhouse Bistro prior to Wed-Sun evening performances. That's a savings of up to 15% off the single ticket price! If you already have tickets, you can add dinner for just $35. Dinner and a show packages are available online at PeoplesLight.org.

Pride & Prejudice previews on Wednesday, February 26 and Thursday, February 27 at 7:30 pm and Friday, February 28 at 8 pm. The play opens on Saturday, March 1 and runs through Sunday, March 30. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists for a conversation about the production after the Thursday performances on March 13, 20, and 27.

Single tickets: $26 - $46. For tickets, call the Box Office at 610.644.3500. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x111 or email wright@peopleslight.org.

Create-your-own subscription packages for the 2013-2014 season are available for purchase and start at $99. Productions include Pride & Prejudice (February 26-March 30, 2014), Dear Elizabeth (April 2-27, 2014), Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie (May 7-25, 2014) and Bach at Leipzig (July 9-August 10, 2014). The 2-play Discovery series subscription for multigenerational audiences starts at $46 for youth and $60 for adults and includes Pride & Prejudice and Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie. Visit peopleslight.org or call 610-644-3500 to order.

Actors, prices, productions, performance dates and times are subject to change. Additional service charges will apply. Contact the Box Office for more details.