MONMOUTH — Theater at Monmouth closes its What Dreams May Come 50th Anniversary Season with a fall show with a fresh take on Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility,” adapted and directed by Producing Artistic Director Dawn McAndrews. The fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne, are thrown into chaos after their father’s sudden death, leaving them financially destitute and socially vulnerable.
Set in gossipy late 18th-century England, with a fresh female voice, the play is full of humor, emotional depth and bold theatricality while examining our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything how do you follow your heart? Join the Dashwood sisters from 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, through Sept. 22, including matinee and evening performances.
Reason and passion collide in Jane Austen’s beloved tale of sisterhood and romance. Marianne and Elinor Dashwood could not be more different. Marianne is exuberant, impetuous and recklessly romantic. Elinor is practical, thoughtful and confoundingly reserved. Through a series of romantic misadventures, the girls come to realize that the key to happiness may not lie in fiery passion or strict reason, but somewhere in between.
Of the adaptation, McAndrews says, “Austen spends a great deal of time describing the smallest drop of rain, a yearning glance and the inward pain of a society unable to communicate its true feelings. The parade of tea parties, empire waist dresses and carriage rides fill the book, Thompson’s movie, as well as our play today. For a society of idle rich with nothing to do but walk in the sun surrounded by austere estates or read delightful books of romance poetry, or underscore the drudgery of their daily lives on the pianoforte — they are constantly in motion. This adaptation focuses on the main characters, male and female, as flawed people moving within restrictive societal norms.”
“Sense and Sensibility” has continued to fascinate audiences and readers alike since its publication in 1811. Notable adaptations exist for both stage and screen, including Emma Thompson’s Oscar-winning screenplay in 1995, but what sets TAM’s production apart is the overlapping of narrative and cutaway scenes. TAM’s production nurtures a heavy presence of Austen’s text in both dialogue and background. The doubling present in this casting adds a nuance and depth to characters with dubious respectability like Willoughby and heightens the differences in compassion and caring of the Ferrars’ siblings.
“Sense and Sensibility” features Meredith Casey as Elinor, Casey Turner as Marianne, Hannah Perrault as Margaret/Charlotte Palmer, Paul Haley as Colonel Brandon/Thomas, Thomas Campbell as Edward/Robert, Kevin Aoussou as Willoughby/John Dashwood, Ellen Magee as Fanny/Lucy Steele, Kathleen Nation as Mrs. Henry Dashwood/Mrs. Ferrars, Tessa Martin as Mrs. Jennings/Cook, and Paul Menezes as Mr. Henry Dashwood/Sir John Middleton. Set design is by Stacey Mancini Koloski, costume design by Michelle Handley, lighting design by Jim Alexander; sound design by Rew Tippin; stage managed by Katie Moshier.
Performance dates are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12, 13 14, 19, 20 and 21 and 1 p.m. Sept. 14, 15, 21 and 22.
For calendar and reservations, contact the TAM Box Office at 207-933-9999 or visit www.theateratmonmouth.org.
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