Persuasion at Parker Theatre

As a huge fan of Jane Austen, I was so excited to see an adaptation of Persuasion at Parker Theatre last night. It is very well done and I really enjoyed it. Anne Elliot (Madeline Thatcher) is persuaded by her aristocratic family and friends to reject the proposal of Captain Frederick Wentworth (Daniel Frederickson) because of his lack of wealth and position. Eight years later, their fortunes have reversed because her father Sir Walter Elliot (David Weekes) has mismanaged his estate and Captain Wentworth has prospered from the war. They meet unexpectedly when Captain Wentworth's brother-in-law and sister, Admiral and Mrs. Croft (Michael Hohl and Cecily Bills, respectively), let Anne's ancestral home, Kellynch Hall. Anne still loves him but she fears that he hasn't forgiven her for breaking his heart when he pursues Louisa and Henrietta Musgrove (Emily States and Isabelle Purdie, respectively). Captain Wentworth eventually realizes that he still loves Anne but will she be persuaded by her father and Lady Russell (Melanie Muranaka) to marry her cousin William Elliot (John Hayes Nielsen)? This adaptation is extremely faithful to the novel which makes it quite long with lots of scene changes and, even though they are handled very quickly, the pacing sometimes gets bogged down. Other than that, I loved everything else about this production. Thatcher and Frederickson are very appealing as the two leads (they reminded me of Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds from the 1995 movie adaptation with their physical appearances even if Thatcher is a bit bolder) but I laughed out loud whenever Mckelle Shaw pretends to cough as the hypochondriac Mary Musgrove, whenever Weekes looks at a handheld mirror as the vain Sir Walter, whenever Nicole Holbrook eats a chocolate bonbon as the spoiled Elizabeth Elliot, and whenever Wyatt Bills and Liam Brown run around in circles as the rambunctious Musgrove boys. The set is really beautiful and I loved the projections used for Kellynch Hall, Uppercross Manor, the seaside at Lyme, and the Assembly Room in Bath as well as all of the elegant period furniture. The staging is really clever, especially when Admiral and Mrs. Cross retrieve Anne in their carriage and when Louisa jumps off the sea wall. The costumes are also beautiful and, as much as I love dresses with empire waists and embellished fabrics, I was very impressed by the naval uniforms and hats.  Seeing this production is a lovely way to spend an evening and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here).  It runs at Parker Theatre on Fridays and Saturdays (evenings and matinees) through March 8.