Pride and Prejudice at Flat Rock Playhouse

The stage is set before you even enter the theater, by the music playing brightly outside the Leiman Mainstage at Flat Rock Playhouse: string ensemble arrangements of modern pop hits. Think Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” as performed by Vitamin String Quartet. Anachronism and wry reinterpretation are on the boards for this stage version of Jane Austen’s classic 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice.

Onstage, the winking, let’s-have-some-fun mood is established right away, as the seven cast members are introduced with a mock Georgian-era dance to another recent pop song, and one of the men — FRP mainstay Scott Treadway — is wearing a dress.

This is not strictly a parody or a spoof, although it utilizes elements of both, but more of an affectionate retelling of Austen’s enduring love story that underscores the aspects of the narrative that can seem silly from our perspective more than 200 years later. Why, for example, does sister Mary, alone among the four Bennet girls, have no prospective suitor? Jeff Ronan’s cross-dressed portrayal of the endlessly frustrated Mary makes the most of that oversight in a wig-tossing, eye-rolling performance that’s a joy throughout. And why is the wealthy Mr. Bingley (also superbly played by Ronan) so easily swayed by the commanding opinions of Mr. Darcy? Here, Ronan playfully adopts certain happy canine characteristics that are both amusing and illuminating.

(L-R) Laura Jordan, Piper Patterson, Janiah-Camile François, and Jeff Ronan in Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice at Flat Rock Playhouse.

Note that I’m assuming readers know the main plot and characters of Austen’s story, because the production assumes that as well. If you’ve never read the book nor seen one of the many screen adaptations, this is not the best introduction to Austen. I’d wager newcomers to the Bennet family and Mr. Darcy would still have a laugh and shed a tear, but they would miss the nuance of playwright Kate Hamill’s many clever variations on the story’s incidents.

Yes, I said “shed a tear,” because the power of Austen’s love story is not diminished. The lead actors — Piper Patterson as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Christian as Mr. Darcy — embody their characters sincerely, without mockery, and their sparring works as well on Flat Rock’s stage as in any of the many movie versions. Most of their dialogue, as throughout the script, is pure Austen. Director Charlie Johnson deftly modulates the tone of the delivery depending the desired impact: Some arch line readings are played for laughs, while most of the encounters between Elizabeth and Darcy come across with genuine emotion. Similarly, Elizabeth’s sister Jane, charmingly played by Janiah-Camile François, mostly takes the high road, giving Patterson an anchoring ally and crafting her own bubble of genuine feeling amid the craziness.

Piper Patterson and Matthew Christian in Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice at Flat Rock Playhouse.

Indeed, Patterson’s, Christian’s, and François’ work may even be more impressive than that of some performers in a more straight-laced adaptation, since they maintain their intensity and dignity while the supporting players often galavant absurdly around them. Laura Jordan hilariously dials Mrs. Bennet’s gold-digging on behalf of her two eldest daughters up to 11, getting some of the show’s biggest laughs. Kimberly Chatterjee ably takes on two completely different roles: the irrepressible youngest Bennet sister, Lydia, a bundle of energy and misbehavior, and the stuck-up noblewoman Lady Catherine, a knot of the titular prejudice.

Treadway also plays two parts: the exasperated Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth’s best friend, Charlotte. His place in the production is a sort of stepping stone between the grounded and the goofy, landing Bennet père’s well-known prickliness while also nudging select line reading for laughs. And while he has some fun with the inherent campiness of his cross-dressing, his Charlotte develops into the profound counterpoint to Elizabeth she need to be.

(L-R) Scott Treadway, Piper Patterson, and Kimberly Chatterjee in Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice at Flat Rock Playhouse.

Neil Redfield works a similar magic with his straightforward take on the two-faced Lieutenant Wickham, alternating with his full-on comic turn as the show’s most over-the-top character, Mr. Collins. (Admit it: Austen’s Collins is a nutty concoction.) Redfield also takes on the part of Miss Bingley, whose role as Elizabeth’s rival for Mr. Darcy is just as thinly conceived here as it is in the original novel.

Of course, there’s a lot more going on here than just the actors’ fine performances: entertaining sound effects created by cast members at booths on either side of the stage, winking commentary via projections, ball gowns reconceived as floral aprons, background characters played by mannequins, and so on. The entire FRP creative team clearly had a ball (pun intended) staging this confection.

Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice is not for everyone. Just as the wit of the musical choices will be lost on anyone who thinks Snow Patrol might be an old TV drama, some of the jabs and jousts will not land with more-staid audience members. Some of the silliness, such as a drunken bit at a ball, is more sophomoric than sophisticated. Indeed, the play has confounded many a critic since its debut in 2017, perhaps because any single production can flub the necessary balancing act. Yes, it’s irreverent and sometimes wacky. A funny bit with an old servant (Jordan) and a tea tray reminded me fondly of many a Tim Conway sketch from The Carol Burnett Show. Yet at FRP Pride and Prejudice is also genuine and touching, and the resolution of the romance hit me just as powerfully as ever. It made me want to dive back into a more strict screen adaptation — not because I missed anything from the stage show, but because it reminded me just how wonderful Austen’s iconic storytelling really is. It can take a licking and keep on ticking.

Pride and Prejudice runs through May 23 at Flat Rock Playhouse. For information and tickets, visit flatrockplayhouse.org.

Photos courtesy of Flat Rock Playhouse.

Neil Redfield and Piper Patterson in Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice at Flat Rock Playhouse.