Should you be in search of a theatrical event that will tickle your funny bone and leave you in great good spirits as you exit the theater, might this humble writer suggest the following recipe to you?

A Famous Regency Novel

Should you be in search of a theatrical event that will tickle your funny bone and leave you in great good spirits as you exit the theater, might this humble writer suggest the following recipe to you?

Take one famous Regency novel of manners written by a literary genius. Secure the rights to a stage adaptation written by a clever Playwright. Hire a talented Director and Production Staff. Carefully sift through the available talent and hire eight seasoned Actors with excellent comedic skills. Blend them all together in rehearsal for some weeks, then place the actors on a stage when they have reached the desired temperature that is required for broad comedy. Voila! There you have it.

On the other hand, you can save yourself months, if not years, of work already done by the above and Executive Artistic Director Loraine O’Donnell, by simply purchasing a ticket to Pride & Prejudice now at the D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre and enjoy this delightful meal for less than the price of a dinner out. Should you take this approach you will be treated to the following and will leave the theater completely satisfied.

Playwright Kate Hamill has taken that much-loved novel and turned it on its ear. The characters remain intact except Kitty, who seems to have vanished. As she was not important to the story in any meaningful way, what does it matter? The rest are drawn in as broad a comedic manner as possible to still retain their essential character. Some of the ladies’ roles are played by gentlemen. Other than those, shall we say, minor adjustments to this perfect novel, all goes on as expected.

Those Bennet Girls

In early 19^th Century England at least one of the four Bennet girls must marry money so the future of the family is assured as their estate is entailed to a male cousin when the Bennet patriarch expires. The women will be left penniless and adrift without the financial support of a wealthy husband. Their overwrought mother is in a state about it when a young man of wealth, Mr. Bingley, purchases an estate nearby. He is accompanied by his sister and a Mr. Darcy. How sisters Jane, Lizzie, Mary, and Lydia fare with the gentlemen, and with a soldier named Wickham form the crux of the story.

Lizzie and Mr. Darcy, played by Gabriella McKinley and Ben Michael Moran, are at the heart of the tale. Ms. McKinley shows very high spirits as she spars with her counterpart, mocking and goading him in a most attractive manner, while also being capable of great sympathy and caring for her sister Jane. She plays this role not just for comedy, but also visibly struggles as a complex woman coming into her own. Mr. Moran rocks a kind of Hugh Grant/Colin Firth vibe, while at the same time making the role very much his own. He is super attractive, and oh so very repressed, and in the scene where he proposes to Lizzie against his own moral beliefs, he shows a great deal of feeling that exposes his innermost struggles. On the other hand, he is a riot when he kind of slithers his way onto the sofa when Lady Catherine insists that he sit next to her daughter Anne, who is draped in very unusual clothing.

Jake Albarella is Mr. Bingley and, yes, Mary. He takes Mary to the nth degree of suffering and is a hoot as the unattractive sister.  As Bingley he is like one’s favorite golden retriever, ready to please, ready to play, happy to meet everyone. That being the case, Darcy gives him commands as one would a pet and lets him play with a ball. His goofy grin and bouncy manner induce laughter whenever he appears.

Speaking of bouncy, Renee Landrigan as Lydia appears to have springs for feet as she bounces and practically flies across the stage in veritable paroxysms of hysteria, then later settles down completely as the dour and demanding Lady Catherine, so assured of her own importance, don’t you know.

Chris Brandjes does a fine job as the exasperated patriarch surrounded by women, Mr. Bennet. He is spot on with sardonic wit that masks his caring for his brood. As Charlotte Lucas, he often takes a more serious tone, as she is the pragmatist among the group, but still shows his comedic chops when called upon.

Diane Di Bernardo plays the hysterical Mrs. Bennet as broadly as can be, then steps it up a notch. She fusses and flutters and drives everyone crazy, including the audience. She is very very funny.

Jake Hayes is Mr. Collins/Wickham/Miss Bingley. Each of his characters are distinctly drawn with Mr. Collins being the most out-there. His obsequious manner makes one cringe for him and for anyone who has the misfortune to come into contact with him as he oils his way around the stage. Well played.

And last, but never least, is lovely Lissette DeJesus who is perfectly cast as the lovely eldest sister, Jane. She is the most sympathetic of the characters, with her shyness and concern for everyone else, and Ms. DeJesus shows the quiet strength of that character. She gets in on the fun, too, in her interactions with Bingley toward the end.

A Jane Austen Pick-Me-Up

While the comedy is broad, this production also maintains the Austen sensibility. Much of the dialogue is directly from the novel, and the underlying themes regarding class distinctions and the subjugation of women remain intact.

Director Kristen Tripp Kelley and her very talented production crew have outdone themselves. She has the actors expertly and quietly move set pieces about to delineate the different locations so that scene changes flow easily from one to the next. Set Design by David King is simple and elegant. Costumes by Lindsay Salamone are true to the period, while also at times adding to the comedic effect. Sound Design by Geoffrey Tocin is very interesting. What sounds like a string quartet has a very 19^th Century sound but plays very modern songs.

This is a great production and a terrific pick-me-up in these troubled times. Kudos to all.