Sense & Sensibility

Last night I attended a performance of Sense and Sensibility, a play adaptation of Jane Austen's book in  the Bromley theater at the University of Pittsgurgh at Bradford.
 Here it is described at their website:
Jane Austen is one of the most popular and beloved authors of all time. Born in the late 18th century, she wrote with great insight and wit about the lives of the English upper middle class. Her characters seem to drift through the inescapable life of leisure that only privilege can afford, yet are forever negotiating the reality of birth right and custom. Sense & Sensibility poignantly and cleverly illustrates the effects of economic uncertainty brought about by the common practice of the first-born male inheriting entire family fortunes, often leaving the rest of the family to fend for themselves.
Sense & Sensibilty is one of Jane Austen’s most popular novels. The characters live in a world in which choices are limited- especially for the women. The story revolves around the lives of two sisters, Elinor who is level headed and full of sense, and the hopelessly romantic, Marianne. After the untimely and unexpected death of their father, both sisters and their mother are forced to leave their comfortable lives, while their half brother and his wife inherit the family estate. The only hope for these two sisters is a profitable marriage. Seduction, courtship, love, heartbreak and surprise abound in this classic romantic comedy.

 I cannot say enough about the high quality of the actors of the Aquila Theatre. Not only was the acting supurb but the staging was amazing. On set was only two chairs and a small table, a setee, and a harpsicord all in white. Behind those was a large screen on which was projected the scenery correlated to each scene. There was constant movement as the actors entered and exited the stage or moved around it. Some of the woman's roles were played by men and one actor stole the show with his animated lines. 



This is how it is described by the theater's website:
Aquila expands the canon of classical works for the stage by adapating Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility in a bold and exciting new production. Directed by Aquila’s artistic director Desiree Sanchez, this production will incorporate her innovative use of space, movement, design, and sound. D.C. Metro said “Sanchez is wildly inventive, and the production choices made were carried out beautifully” and NY Theater Review says “her direction is polished and laser sharp. She gets the maximum amount of potential out of every stage moment, has exceptional attention to detail, and is a demiurge of direction.”

It was a most enjoyable evening. We are so lucky to have the University a few miles down the road from me which brings in this high quality entertainment.