Friday, November 04, 2005

Pride and Prejudice

Portland Center Stage
November 3, 2005; closes November 20, 2005

True to its word: Fanciful characters spring from native words in this debonair production. Exquisite lighting design by Diane Williams, especially mercurial backdrop, a dimensional dabbling reflecting the mood and manner before it. Deb Trout’s elegant costumes celebrate characters with picture-book flair. Good cast well poised by minimalist Jane Jones.

4 comments:

followspot said...

However, I’m still not convinced literary narration works onstage. Books and scripts are like boats and planes: both take you places, but in different ways. When you combine the two, occasionally it’s productive; more often it ends up a Spruce Goose. Let each work its advantage in its own way.

Anonymous said...

I thought it was a refreshing way to bring a well-known book to the stage: minimal set, quick dialogue, and the occasional third person bits to help you along (almost like reading the book). It makes me want to see more Book-It/Jane Jones productions.

Anonymous said...

Heads-up -- or warning -- I hear "Owen Meaney" at Artists Rep will have the same Book-It treatment ....

Anonymous said...

A decent production, but my issue is with the adaptation. One of the most fabulous qualities of Jane Austen is the clever, witty dialogue; so why, in a stage adaptation, should that dialogue be replaced by awkward third person narration? Why tell us 'Elizabeth was overjoyed' and not just show us through the acting? As I say, the production was good-- some of literature's greatest characters were performed wonderfully, I was especially impressed by Laura Faye Smith.