For the Drama Club’s winter play, Director Zach Timm has been orchestrating an adaptation of Jane Austen’s iconic “Pride and Prejudice.” Previous shows performed by the Drama Club, such as “Antigone,” “Dracula,” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” have been more somber. This year’s winter play ended up being filled with not only idyll, but also with acuity and hilarity.
“Kate Hamill’s done an awesome job adapting [Jane] Austen’s original work, and so I’m happy that we get to bring it to life on stage,” Timm said. “I love this novel. ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is ahead of its time in a lot of its themes. It’s really funny; I think that’s what I’m most excited for is the sense that people will show up expecting this romance and this, sort of, slow burn, but then there’s going to be a lot of wit and charm to it as well.”
Unlike former shows, “Pride and Prejudice” is special in its genre and environment. Rather than the usual seating, a black box stage is being introduced, involving the audience into the actor’s perspective of their endeavors.
“I’m really excited for everyone to see just how up close the stage is and for everyone to be up close with the drama and the effort that we all put into it,” Hannah Escamilla playing the lead role as Elizabeth Bennet said. “Our stage design this time, it isn’t what it usually is as compared to other productions we’ve done. We usually have just the main stage up front and the seats out in front of the stage, but this time the stage is center and the seats are going to be surrounding the stage. I’m just really excited to be able to showcase my acting skills and their full potential.”
With a production dense with people in the cast and technician crew (tech crew or “techies”), a strong community is vital to keep the production running smoothly. As the coterie moves through the years, veteran members teaching necessary skills and artistry to newer members allows for the club to continue to blossom.
“It was good to see the community helping each other out when people would mess up; nobody gets mad,” assistant stage manager Delaney Kish said. “We have some new techies this time and it’s nice to see all the older, more experienced techies helping teach them and helping them get the ropes. Eventually, once we start doing combined rehearsals, there’s going to be a lot of trust between the tech [crew] and the actors.”
The sense of unity behind the production is evident as rehearsals push forward. An environment built on dedication, encouragement, and steady growth from performers of varying experiences displays the development of the community.
“Everyone has their own part to play and they have to really commit to it,” Escamilla said. “Some people have no experience in theater and some people in our cast have probably been doing this for years now, but really it’s a learning process for everyone and everyone is teaching each other and helping each other out. It’s really nice to see everybody being so kind and friendly, and honestly, our theater community is so welcoming and friendly. It’s really refreshing to see.”
Adapting a written novel to a visual stage production means condensing intricate characters into a total of three hours for possibly inapt audiences. The visual portrayal and atmosphere of “Pride and Prejudice” emanates from such effort and synergy, cultivating an 1800s atmosphere.
“The [characters are] very detailed,” stage manager Kyli Slater said. “They have a lot to them and different parts of them that make the story important. It’s going to be a great show. The actors are putting a lot of work into this and so are the techies. They’re all working really hard and I think it’s going to be really great and everyone should go see it.”
*Pride and Prejudice tickets are being sold through March 7 on the CKPAC website.
