Bewitching tendrils of pink and purple flowers swirled and curled around the dark background of The James Theater’s black box stage. Vivid green vines filled in spaces that were lacking beautiful color. The effect instantly transported the audience back into a time of pride, prejudice, and Bridgerton-like liaisons.
The adaptive work of Kate Hamill perfectly captures all of the play of such an enthralling family, along with the drama that comes with the early 1800s. Bouncing off of this delightfully written script and bringing it to life is Patrick Du Laney, director of The James Theater’s rendition of the script.
Du Laney showed a perfect comprehension of his space and how to work with it. The James is spacious but does not offer a lot of give when it comes to housing plays. But with the help of moving the audience with every “scene change,” the theater is instantly transformed without any need for large furniture pieces or backgrounds.
The element of a moving audience also allows for a more intimate feel between actors and the audience. Instantly, the audience feels as though they are a part of the Bennet family with the staging as well as the constant audience interaction.
The actor’s alluring performances also played a part in allowing the audience a clear view into the dramatic lives of these families. The overlapping of lines, as well as the running jokes, helped the audience feel as though we were all a part of the family.
The chemistry between the whole family was wonderful, and such a delight to witness, that when we arrived in the second act, only getting to see them in a few scenes, the act dragged on. This was also in part due to the lack of chemistry between Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennet. There were moments of yearning that could be credited to Mr.Darcy, but I found myself wanting Lizzy Bennet to leave him in the end and find her own path because there seemed to be no love for her companion.
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What Darcy and Bennet lacked, Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley more than made up for. Their sweet love was endearing and a joy to watch. We get to see the eldest Bennet sister find childlike play with a man who is the definition of the phrase.
The show did comedy so well that I was afraid in the moments of seriousness it would be played off after a joke, but they did not disappoint. Even though we see these moments of hilarity, the actors also understood that this was their character’s lives, and, especially for the women, it can be taken away at any moment by a social faux pas or a mismatch. The characters found those moments of seriousness and went with them in a way that was genuine and touching to the audience.
The whole experience was a delightfully hilarious and heartwarming story beautifully put on by a cast and crew who cared about the project. There was never a point in the show where it was shown that someone didn’t care about the piece. Every member of the show did a beautiful job of curating their part in creating a masterpiece.
The touching message of universal love left audiences sighing, reaching for their loved ones, or reaching for their phones to text or call someone. The show was a beautiful display of the ideals every character holds and was staged in a delightfully colorful way at The James.