Pittsburgh Public Theater Puts a Spin on PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Pittsburgh Public Theater begins its 44th season with a new management team - Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski and Managing Director Lou Castelli - and the Pittsburgh premiere of Kate Hamill's innovative comedy, Pride and Prejudice. Directed by Desdemona Chiang, Pride and Prejudice runs September 27 - October 28, 2018 at the O'Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater's home in the heart of Downtown's Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600, go to ppt.org, or visit the Box Office. Pride and Prejudice is Presented by Highmark.

Hamill starts with Jane Austen's story about the Bennet sisters and their search for love in 19th century England, then amps up the humor by injecting the period piece with her own ingenious and anachronistic twists. The sisters include Lizzy (Simone Recasner), Jane (Ashley Bufkin), Lydia (Emma Mercier) and Mary (Andrew William Smith), as well as their friend Charlotte (Ashton Heyl). Domineering Mrs. Bennet (Elena Alexandratos) has boisterous opinions about their handsome suitors, who include Mr. Darcy (Ryan Garbayo) and Mr. Wickham (Chris Richards). With many surprises, this cast of eight also doubles as other favorite Pride and Prejudice characters, including Lady Catherine De Bourgh, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Collins, and Mr. and Miss Bingley.

The design team for Pride and Prejudice is Narelle Sissons (Scenic), Christine Tschirgi (Costumes), Masha Tsimring (Lighting), and Andre Pluess (Sound and Original Music). Erika Chong Shuch is the Choreographer, Don Wadsworth is the Dialect Coach, and Elizabeth Wu is the Assistant Director. Casting is by Pat McCorkle, Pam Brusoski is the Production Stage Manager and Phill Madore is the Assistant Stage Manager,

Austen's perennially popular and caustically funny novel, Pride and Prejudice, was published in 1813. Kate Hamill, a 2005 graduate of Ithaca College with a BFA in Acting, has performed often on regional and Off-Broadway stages. Her first foray into writing was her adaptation of Austen's Sense and Sensibility, which ran Off-Broadway in 2016. This was followed by a new version of Thackeray's Vanity Fair and then Pride and Prejudice, which ran at Off-Broadway's Primary Stages. Hamill was named playwright of the year by The Wall Street Journal in 2017. Her plays are now performed around the country.

For tickets call 412.316.1600, go to ppt.org,

Pictured: Simone Recasner