The Resident Theatre at Edge of the Wood Will Present PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
The Resident Theatre at Edge of the Wood presents Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Janet Munsil's fast-paced adaptation of the beloved romantic comedy, in their space at the Edgebrook Community Church, November 8-23.
Pride and Prejudice tells the story of Elizabeth, the second of five daughters in the Bennet family, whose position as an intelligent, capable, and well-to-do gentlewoman in Regency-era England nonetheless necessitates that she marry a man of fortune to secure her future. The play, like the novel on which it is based, follows Elizabeth as she maneuvers through courtship, scandal, judgment, duty, and love.
"Pride and Prejudice is so enduring because the characters are so beautifully observed," says director Stacey Lind. "Favorites like Lady Catherine (the domineering aristocrat who imagines everything in the world must conform to her idea of it) or Mr. Collins (the obsequious clergyman who is more concerned with making his place in society than his place in heaven) make us laugh not only because they're fantastically absurd, but because they really remind us of people we know." Lind says the same is true of the famous hero and heroine, Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. "We root for them because they're smart and funny and good-hearted even though they do some really stupid, short-sighted things."
The themes of overcoming prejudice, navigating the construct of marriage, and confronting societal views of women are also enduring, even though the context has changed somewhat in the last 200 years. Pride and Prejudice is funny, smart, sometimes infuriating, and ultimately affirming.
The cast of Pride and Prejudice includes Sarah Liz Bell as Elizabeth; Peter Geissl (previously seen at Edge in Arcadia, Meet Me in St. Louis) as Darcy; Bethany Weise and Chris Toft (Our Town, Holiday) as Mrs. and Mr. Bennet; Molly Will (Meet Me in St. Louis), Amelia Bell (Arcadia), Carter Rose Sherman, and Joanna Starr Poulos as Jane, Mary, Kitty and Lydia Bennet; Stephen Loch (Our Town, Arcadia) and Abby Walburn as Mr. Collins and Charlotte; Mary Hildebrandt and Michael Maley as Caroline and Charles Bingley; Aimee Kleiman and Rocco Renda as Mrs. and Mr. Gardiner; Janet Rourke (Our Town, The Beautiful People) as Lady Catherine; Shaun Hayden as Mr. Wickham; and John Chambers (Holiday, A Midsummer Night's Dream), Martin Mahoney (The Seagull, The Mystery of Edwin Drood), and Robert McDonough (Meet Me in St. Louis) in the ensemble.
Tickets for Pride and Prejudice are $22 for adults and $10 for students, and are available at http://edgeofthewood.com/resident-theatre, by calling 773-775-1140, or may be purchased at the door. Edge of the Wood is in residence at the Edgebrook Community Church, 6736 N Loleta Ave, Chicago, IL 60646 (Metra: Edgebrook; CTA Bus 84). Performances are at 7:30pm on Friday, November 8, Saturday, November 9, Friday, November 15, Saturday, November 16, Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23. 2:30pm matinées are offered on Sunday, November 10, Sunday, November 17, and Saturday, November 23.
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