Pride and Prejudice at the Grand Theatre

I absolutely adored the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Melissa Leilani Larson that I saw at HCTO last year so I was really excited to get to see another production at the Grand Theatre last night.  It was just delightful!  This adaptation does not include everything from the novel by Jane Austen and there are subtle changes in characterization but I think it brilliantly captures its essence in a way that feels very fresh and very funny (the crowd was laughing out loud all night).  When Mr. Bingley (Alex Smith), a single man in possession of a good fortune (there is a hilarious spoof on this famous opening line), lets Netherfield Hall, Mrs. Bennett (Liz Whittaker) immediately sets her sights on him as a possible husband for one of her five daughters.  Bingley falls in love with the beautiful Jane (Lauren Pope) but her sister Elizabeth (Niki Rahimi) takes an immediate dislike to his friend Mr. Darcy (Gordon Dunn) because he is so aloof and disdainful.  Elizabeth must overcome her prejudice and Mr. Darcy must overcome his pride for them to realize that they belong together.  Last night I was really struck by how well the letters written between characters are used to advance the narrative instead of dialogue, especially Jane's visit to Pemberley, without losing any impact and I enjoyed seeing the characters pantomime what is happening in the letters on large platforms upstage while they are read aloud.  Every member of the cast is very well-suited to their role but I especially enjoyed how uptight Ellie Otis is as Mary, how histrionic Whittaker is as Mrs. Bennett, and how goofy Smith is as Bingley.  Rahimi and Dunn (who is especially swoon-worthy) have great chemistry when they are sparring back and forth and Darrin Burnett steals the show as Mr. Collins (I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe when he was dancing at the Netherfield Ball, when he dropped to his knees while proposing to Elizabeth, and when he chased after Lady Catherine's carriage).  The staging is a bit different from HCTO because, instead of a small and intimate thrust stage, the Grand has a large proscenium stage but I really liked how they kept the minimal vibe with modular cubes made with sheets of patterned plastic that form a multi-level platform with some that are also moved and reconfigured to form multiple locations.  I also really loved the framed silhouettes of the characters, made from the same patterned plastic, that are hanging in the background (there are new silhouettes when the relationships change in the play).  The blue, pink, purple, and turquoise lighting looks very dramatic projected on a cyclorama upstage as well as reflected in the plastic used in the cubes.  Finally, the period costumes are beautiful (I love those empire waists) but I wish that Caroline Bingley's dress had been more elaborate to denote her higher socio-economic status.  This show is a really fun way to spend an evening and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) during its run through June 8.