Pendragon Theater performed a comedy-filled version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice last weekend to the amusement of the full audience of Carlisle residents and Dickinson students.  

Breaking somewhat from the composed drama of the original, cast members juggled, threw themselves on couches and rolled around the floor during the production. The play was adapted by playwright Kate Hamill and directed by Professor of Theater and Dance Karen Lordi-Kirkham.

“This particular adaptation incorporated the dynamic of the romp, playing particularly to the humor of the novel,” said Lordi-Kirkham. 

Set in 19th century England, Pride and Prejudice follows the social mishaps of the Bennett family and the daughters’ trials in finding eligible marriage matches. 

Several actors played more than one character, both male and female. Some would comically switch characters mid-scene by frantically changing costume on stage. Other characters were left out altogether, making for a “streamlined,” adaptation, said Lordi-Kirkham. 

“Hamill pulled out the really witty parts but still remained true to the central story,” said Lordi-Kirkham. 

The lead characters of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy were not double-cast, said Lordi-Kirkham, because “these other comic, exaggerated characters are seen through Lizzy and Darcy’s lens… the leads are the anchors of the show, and everything else around them is swirling chaos.”

The show was put on by the Pendragon Theater, based in Saranac Lake, N.Y. Josh Bennett ’20 was the stage manager and worked with Lordi-Kirkham over the summer to orchestrate the play. It was previously performed on a tour at colleges and high schools in Upstate New York prior to its arrival at Dickinson College.

“College audiences have been a real blessing, since they give us the most audible responses,” said Evan Raines, who played the characters of Mr. Bennett and Mr. Collins. “College kids like the zingers,” he said.

“Everywhere we go we have a different show,” said Manley Gavich, who played Mr. Bingley, Mr. Wickham and Lady Catherine. “This set is a character in and of itself, since it influences what ends up being funny,” said Gavich. One prominent set-piece was a red toy piano, played enthusiastically by Emma Simon as Mary Bennett. “Celebrating the outcast is a joy,” said Simon, who is studying the art of clowning.

The cast members and director held a question-and-answer session after the show. The production was held on Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27 in Mathers Theater in the HUB.