4th Wall to Present Upcoming Holiday Production of Kate Hamill's SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

If you were not lucky enough to get a ticket to the sold out run of 4th Wall’s production of Kate Hamill’s adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE in 2018 - do not despair! 4th Wall is bringing Ms. Hamill’s fast paced, witty one-of-a-kind experiences back this holiday season with the Off-Broadway sensation, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY! Houston icon and nationally recognized artist Kim Tobin Lehl will direct.

4th Wall is ready to bring Austen’s work to life once again with a dream team of professional artists for this truly fun play full of music, dance, and plenty of laughs. Paced with precision and nimble stylings by director Kim Tobin-Lehl, it is the perfect holiday event for the whole family! Buy your tickets early and don’t miss out on what is sure to be the HOUSTON THEATRE HIGHLIGHT OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON!

A playful new adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne after their father’s sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable. Set in gossipy late 18th century England, with a fresh female voice, the play is full of humor, emotional depth, and bold theatricality. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY examines our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything how do you follow your heart?

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY was the winner of the Off-Broadway Alliance’s Best Unique Theatre Experience, a nominee for the Drama League Award, a nominee for the Helen Hayes Award, one of The New York Times’ Top 10 Plays of 2014 & 2016, a Ben Brantley Critics’ Pick twice, and many others. It has remained one of the top produced plays in the country since its inception with The Huffington Post claiming it as “perhaps the greatest stage adaptation of this novel in history.”

4th Wall Co-Founder and current Resident Artist, Kim Tobin-Lehl is thrilled to return to Ms. Hamill’s delightful and inventive world of Jane Austen. She will be taking the helm after returning from her assistant directing job alongside Eric Tucker in NYC in the Bedlam Theatre Company’s production of ARCADIA, (director of the NYC premiere of Hamill’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY). Ms. Tobin-Lehl’s relationship with Bedlam goes back to their early days. Much of Houston will remember Bedlam and 4th Wall’s collaborative production of SAINT JOAN,directed by Mr. Tucker and winner of the Houston Press Award for Best Visiting Production in 2016. 

The strong ensemble team put together for SENSE AND SENSIBILITY includes returning 4th Wall artists such as: Christy Watkins as Elinor (Disgraced, Jesus Hopped The ‘A’ Train), Faith Fossett as Marianne (Glass Menagerie, The Thin Place), Skyler Sinclair (Gloria, Midsummer Night’s Dream), Nick Farco (True West, Lifespan of A Fact, Small Mouth Sounds) and Luis Galindo (The Pavilion, Stage Kiss, Winter’s Tale). Along with returning artists from 2018’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Amy Mire, Rachael Logue, and 4th Wall’s Artistic Director Philip Lehl.

Making their 4th Wall debuts will be Ensemble Theatre regular, Timothy Eric as Colonel Brandon and Houston Native currently residing in NYC, David Gow as Willoughby. The powerhouse of talent comprising this ensemble is surely not to be missed!

Tobin-Lehl’s 2018 production of Ms. Hamill’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE set box office records for 4th Wall and, as of this press release, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is already experiencing record-breaking ticket sales for the company. DO NOT WAIT - or you will miss out because this show must close on December 23rd!

The amazing production team for SENSE AND SENSIBILITY brings Ms. Tobin-Lehl back together with several of her P&P collaborators, Houston’s iconic lighting designer Christina Giannelli is back, the incomparable set designer Ryan McGettigan returns, and back as choreographer is the esteemed Krissy Richmond to lead the ensemble.

Joining her for this show is her longtime friend and favorite sound designer Michael Mullins, whom many Houstonians will remember form their award-winning collaboration on the magnificent production of 4th Wall’s JESUS HOPPED THE ‘A’ TRAIN. Also joining will be her friend and past collaborator Leah Smith on costumes – the in-house costumer designer at Stages Theatre, and Frankie Outlaw will be coming on board for property design.

Kate Hamill is a playwright and actor based in NYC. She has spent multiple seasons on the most produced playwright list in American Theatre Magazine. Her most recent work includes MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON-#2B at Kansas City Rep/Portland Center Stage, EMMA at The Guthrie, DRACULA at Classic Stage Company, LITTLE WOMEN at Primary Stages/Jungle Theater and MANSFIELD PARK at Northlight Theater. Kate’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (in which she originated the role of Marianne Dashwood) had its world premiere off-Broadway, produced by Bedlam. It was named one of the "Top Ten Plays of 2014" by both Ben Brantley of the New York Times and by the Huffington Post, which called it “the greatest stage adaptation of this novel in history.” It reopened in New York in 2016 at the Gym at Judson where it ran for almost 300 performances. Other plays include VANITY FAIR which debuted at The Pearl Theater with an extended run and was seen in a co-production between Shakespeare Theater in DC and American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Her adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE started at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in a production that moved to Primary Stages. She is published by Dramatists Play Service and TRW Plays.

Performance Details: 

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is presented by special arrangement with Dramatist Play Service, Inc. in New York. 

Written by: Kate Hamill, based on the original work of Jane Austen 
Directed by: Kim Tobin-Lehl

Featuring: Timothy Eric, Nick Farco, Faith Fossett, Luis Galindo, David Gow, Rachael Logue, Amy Mire, Skyler Sinclair, Christy Watkins, and Philip Lehl
Dates: December 1 – 23, 2023 
(7:30pm evening performances; 3:00pm Sunday matinees)
Duration: Estimated 2 hours and 15 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.

Location: Spring Street Studios, 1824 Spring Street, Studio 101, Houston TX 77007 
Tickets: $25 - $60; purchase online at www.4thwalltheatreco.com or call (832) 767-4991 

 

Special Performances:  
Preview: Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 7:30pm 
Opening Night: Friday, December 1, 2023 at 7:30pm 
Open-Caption/Talkback: Sunday, December 10, 2023 at 3:00pm 
Pay-What-You-Will: Monday, December 18, 2023 at 7:30pm