A Punny Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen seems to be everywhere these days... 

Photo by Dan Norman

And I suppose that makes a lot of sense, right? After all, her female-driven worlds have enchanted readers for over 200 years; in the era of #metoo, doesn't it make sense to revisit the origins of girl powered literature?

Photo by Dan Norman

Thankfully for audiences this means that we get to enjoy oodles of witty adaptations and new fan fiction works on a host of different stages. Kicking it all off is Park Square Theatre with Pride and Prejudice, perhaps Austen's most famous work, as adapted by Kate Hamill. Hamill is one of the most produced playwrights in America for three years running, and this show is a perfect way to encounter her work.

Photo by Dan Norman

As much as Austen seems ubiquitous to me, it has come to my attention that there are still many people unfamiliar with her catalog. For those to whom that applies: most simply told, Pride and Prejudice is about how the Bennets, a family of five sisters, survive the process of matchmaking as wealthy eligible bachelors move to their county. Their mother is determined to marry them off in any manner she possibly can and drives towards this goal with fearsome energy; this seems silly at first, but when considered in the context of English history (and remembering that women were not allowed to own or inherit property), begins to make a bit more sense. The trouble is that the girls are all very differently tempered and their goals do not always align with their mother's. Throw in some good old-fashioned classism, pride and classic farcical misunderstandings and assumptions, and you have a perfect recipe for romantic comedy shenanigans. By the end everyone's story lines are sorted (this is a happy story) and reveal some surprisingly profound insights into human nature that are still quite relevant in our social media age.

Photo by Dan Norman

Park Square's production of Pride and Prejudice really plays up the comedy. The dynamic young cast clearly enjoys hamming it up, and the audience was rolling in the aisles for much of the show. The tone overall was a little too loud for me at some moments - for example the constant clanging of bells felt a little overwrought and overstimulating - but that said it didn't seem to bother the rest of the audience. Several actors play multiple characters, and hats off to them because the quick switches were pulled off extremely well.

Photo by Dan Norman

I really enjoyed China Brickey in the starring role as Elizabeth Bennet. She's long deserved her turn in the limelight, and this is a great part for her to shine in. Sarah Richardson is wonderful as Jane Bennet and Lady Catherine, with a warm presence that is pitch perfect as Jane and provides a comedic highlight as both in the final scenes. George Keller makes a very good Mrs. Bennet, hitting all the levels of hysteria you'd expect while still driving home Mrs. Bennet's very realistic fears. McKenna Kelly-Eiding, who I adored in Park Square's Sherlock Holmes: Baskerville a couple years ago (which is coming back - don't miss it!), is a star as the irritating Mr. Collins and devious Mr. Wickham. She clearly relishes her gender-bending roles, and I can't imagine anyone else playing those parts. Kiara Jackson is an enthusiastic Lydia, and Paul Rutledge conveys Mr. Darcy's stoicism well. Alex Galick is charming as Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Bennet, and I found his portrayals of both quite sweet. And the clear audience favorite was Neal Beckman as Mr. Bingley, Mary and Miss DeBourgh. Beckman throws his best Abbott & Costello into these roles, and I see a bright future for him in the world of physical comedy.

Photo by Dan Norman

The production design of this show was a mixed bag for me. The set, designed by Annie Katsura Rollins, is quite postmodern, opening on a completely open stage (no curtains to disguise the wings, no scrims, no major set pieces - everything is laid bare to the naked eye) with a boxing ring taped out on the floor. This allows us to watch the characters set, tear down, and dress for each scene. While initially distracting I think it did work in the end, and helped trim a few minutes off the lengthy near-three hour run time. Hats (or bonnets, I suppose) off to properties designer Josephine Everett who has assembled a dizzying array of props to support the story. I'm not sure how they keep it straight, but they do! Because so many folks are playing multiple characters, the costumes (designed by Sonya Berlovitz) are pretty simple and focus more on suggestion and ease of transition than period-level detail. I was selfishly hoping for a little more period-piece luxury in the overall production design. What is here really works - it just wasn't the lavish old school style I was yearning for. I do think this barer approach really helps modernize Pride and Prejudice and as such will bring it to the attention of new, younger audiences, and that's an admirable goal.

Photo by Dan Norman

Pride and Prejudice was one of my favorite books growing up, and Jane Austen is an eternal favorite for me overall. She manages to wrap such profound messages into a highly digestible package, and audiences of all types can enjoy and relate to her stories. Think of Pride and Prejudice as the funnier, British version of Little Women (which is also enjoying a renaissance and has been adapted for the stage by Kate Hamill). It's got a little bit of everything you want in a play - laughs, drama, intrigue, and a whole lotta heart. It's a great family-friendly show for holiday season; click here to get your tickets at Park Square before the show closes on December 22. And if you can't get enough of the Jane Austen wave, you're in luck: stay tuned for reviews of the Jungle Theater's original Pride and Prejudice-themed holiday play Miss Bennet and the Guthrie's coming adaptation of Emma.

Photo by Dan Norman

Aubergine is a Quiet Pleasure

"We're always already dead - so why not live?"

Photo by Rich Ryan

The culinary world has been having a good run in pop culture for the last decade or so. Beginning with the explosion of food TV pioneered by Emeril Lagasse, Anthony Bourdain and the Food Network, culinary stories have finally trickled onto stages around the country. What's that all about? It might be because food is a universal human need and a communication device that can transcend cultural barriers and provide a new window into subjects that normally function as taboo.

Photo by Rich Ryan

The last few years have seen a host of food-themed shows in #tctheater. How To Use A Knife told the true story about life as a chef, which is much darker than most people suspect. Waitress is a musical about a server whose real talent is in baking pies, which helps her escape her abusive husband. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner explores the tensions over a meal when a "liberal" couple realizes their white daughter plans to marry a black man in the 1960s. The inimitable playwright Lynn Nottage focuses Floyd's on the life of inmates struggling to integrate in society after release from prison and sets the entire show in the kitchen of a sandwich restaurant.

Photo by Rich Ryan

And now we have Aubergine at Park Square Theatre, a story about illness and death and cultural memory as intimately related through food. Ray is a chef who is on an indefinite hiatus from work to take care of his father, who is very sick and near dying. Ray's mother died in an accident when he was young and Ray has no support system to help him through this difficult time. He turns to an ex-girlfriend, Cornelia, to help him contact his father's younger brother back home in Korea before his father dies (Ray does not speak much Korean himself). Cornelia reluctantly helps Ray and becomes an integral part of Ray's life in his father's last days, interpreting conversations between Ray and his uncle, and helping heal some longstanding wounds within Ray and his family memories. Lucien, the hospice nurse attending Ray's father, also becomes a calming presence in Ray's life as his father dies. It's a quiet exploration of what really matters in life and the relationships we need to maintain to stay connected to our humanity and happiness, a lovely message.

Photo by Rich Ryan

The main thing that attracted me to Aubergine was the cast, featuring some of my favorite local actors. Sun Mee Chomet, always a highlight, shines as Cornelia. She delivers a wide range of lines in Korean and English with equal aptitude, and provides many of Aubergine's comedic and poignant highlights. Kurt Kwan brings subtlety and heart to his role as Ray. You really feel for his plight and driftlessness, and he has great chemistry with Chomet. Song Kim is lovely as Ray's long-estranged uncle, and despite the fact that he almost exclusively has lines in Korean, we know exactly what he means to say. It adds a delightful depth to the show, and I loved the nuance the linguistic transitions provided. Darrick Moseley adds so much warmth to the stage through his portrayal of Lucien; he has a softness and heart that breaks open Ray's character.

Photo by Rich Ryan

The real focus of Aubergine is on Ray's emotional turmoil, and the production design facilitates that well. The set design by Deb O centers mostly on the hospice bed and a few sparse areas in Ray's home. It is relatively drab but that's okay, because it's supposed to be. The same can be said of the costume design by Amber Brown. Kathy Maxwell's video design is one of the few welcome pops of color, and well chosen props design by Kenji Shoemaker provides the attention to detail that makes the blander settings come to life. I'm not sure if Chomet's striking platinum bob was a production choice or her own decision, but either way it adds a subtle characterization to her portrayal of Cornelia that I thought was very fetch. 

Photo by Rich Ryan

I adore Theater Mu and I love seeing them partner with other theaters in town, but I have to say that it's really nice to see a main stage in the Twin Cities doing a story about Asian Americans on their own too. Aubergine is a lovely little play with some important things to say, and it deserves the kind of wider platform a place like Park Square Theatre can give it. Chomet and Kwan are charming co-stars, and the hard work Park Square Theatre has done to portray cultures accurately does not go unnoticed. Regardless of your family heritage, I think anyone can connect to Aubergine's messages of loss, loneliness, fear and love. I'd definitely recommend crossing the river to see this show before it closes on October 20. For more information or to buy tickets, click on this link.

Photo by Rich Ryan