As with any beloved piece of literature that has been reworked and reimagined onscreen, any production would battle the impressions left of other interpretations. The brooding scowl of Colin Firth's Darcy and the more recent Keira Knightley-led version are images heavily buried in many Austen fans' minds, for better or worse. But the Guthrie delivers a sprightly-paced, snarky, sumptuous (so much alliteration) rendition that valiantly captures much of the spunk of Austen's famous heroine.
Lizzie, played strongly by Ashley Rose Montondo, may be central to the play's unfolding, but her dialogues are not the most interesting. The first bit of bantering between her and Vincent Kartheiser's Mr. Darcy aren't as acidic as fans of the novel might like. It's difficult to catch Darcy's feelings for Lizzie in the first scenes, his statements of attraction to her eyes fall a bit flat. Darcy's tone borders on petulance in the first act, which is reminiscent of Kartheiser's Pete on Mad Men. And my familiarity with that show may color how I feel about that level of petulance from Austen's imperfect hero. But I think part of this is owed to the difference between stage and screen/imagination. Where a film (or the mind's eye) can capture the brooding stare of a shadowy hero, the stage is much less forgiving of that type of self-indulgence. The audience isn't likely to engage with Vincent Kartheiser's Darcy staring gloomily off into space and automatically embrace the idea that he's brooding about our dear Lizzie. Such is the hurdle Kartheiser and Montondo have to overcome, and it's a hurdle they both clear by the second act. As the events unfold, we grow more fond of the misunderstood Darcy and we grow more understanding of Lizzie's having misunderstood him in the first place. As truths are shared, feelings explored, we do root for these lovers.
Amidst that cheerleading is, of course, a colorful array of brilliant performances by the supporting cast. Suzanne Warmanen's Mrs. Bennet and Peter Thomson's Mr. Bennet are a fantastic, hilarious couple and provide raucous and acerbic (respectively) wit to counter the brooding emotions of romantic turmoil. Kris L. Nelson's icky, oily Mr. Collins provides the perfect foil to Mr. Darcy, casting in stark relief the differences between Lizzie's choices in a mate. And Thallis Santesteban's Mary Bennet (she also plays Georgiana Darcy) is a low alto, deadpan comedic joy amidst her giggly throng of sisters.
To add to the hilarity, when I attended, dear Mr. Bingley, played by Hugh Kennedy, accidentally split his pants during what was assuredly a moving proposal. It may have lost a bit of its emotional power, but it made up for it with peals of laughter from the audience and a squeal of shock from Christine Weber's Jane (which would be appropriate for her character undoubtably). The joy of live theater, indeed!
Given Mr. Kartheiser's Mad Men fame, I expect this run will sell out often, and rightly so. Kartheiser and company make for a wonderful homage to Austen's dearest couple and whether you've a bit of a literary crush on Mr. Darcy (I'm not the only one with literary crushes, right?) or you just like a good dose of British snark, there's a seat with your name on it at the Guthrie.
Pride and Prejudice runs through August 31st.
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