With rough and all-unable pen
Apparently there was a student production of Pride and Prejudice staged at the University of Rhode Island last weekend, which was duly reviewed by the student newspaper.
The problem when evaluating Pride and Prejudice is its 19th century setting and lack of action. As a conventional and somewhat stereotypical college student, I am used to fast-paced television shows and flashy, exploding things in movies.
Then what the Frank Churchill are you doing reviewing theater, Beavis? “Oh, that Harold Pinter, that Tom Stoppard, that Eugene O’Neill, their plays are all talk, talk, talk! Can’t they blow something up already?”
The other theme of the play deals with the effect of gossip in Victorian times.
Ah! That explains it. This would be the Oscar Wilde adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
April 25th, 2007 at 2:07 am
I love Tom Stoppard.
April 25th, 2007 at 2:42 am
“… In a two and a half hour play, it is impossible to keep the entire thing interesting when it is all speaking parts. …”
LOL! Giggle! Snort!
April 25th, 2007 at 2:56 am
Perhaps he might enjoy an interpretive dance version of, say, Mr. Darcy’s first proposal.
April 25th, 2007 at 7:38 am
Or maybe they should have had Mr. Collins blow up Longbourn when Lizzy refused him. That would have livened things up a bit!
April 25th, 2007 at 8:11 am
I have to say that I really like the bit where he first complains that the play was too long, and then a couple paragraphs later says that two of the actors didn’t have enough lines to make an impression on the audience. Nice going, kid.
April 25th, 2007 at 8:25 am
The “noble military man, Mr. Wickham”… shall one say lol?
April 25th, 2007 at 8:27 am
Oh! And Mags, I think you’re on to something with the whole Oscar Wilde adaptation. Clearly the writer of the article was moved by the play’s preface, published in the program, which reads: “All theater is quite useless, especially if there are no explosions.”
April 25th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Wow. “The effect of gossip in Victorian times?” All the dialogue and lack of explosions must have put the reviewer to sleep and he missed the play. I’m guessing he took the period costumes and the fact that Jane Austen is a woman into consideration to form that stereotypical opinion when it came time to make his deadline.
Maybe next time for the reviewer’s benefit the Bennett sisters can perform kungu fu stunts instead of dancing a reel at parties.
April 25th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
I remember when I was young and thought my ignorance was charming. Now I’ve learned it just provokes eye rolls.
April 25th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
I wait with bated breath for his review of any one of Shakespeare’s plays.
April 25th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Err, why would one blame Austen for the adapation to the stage?
April 26th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
I am quite amazed that 1. someone would write such an ill-informed review and 2. that there was apparently not an editor around to at least check his facts. It’s things like this that make me embarrassed to be a college student sometimes.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Ah, to be young and foolish. Don’t be too hard on the lad (or lass). My son has a Janeite for a mother and this review sounds like something he would write. Give me a second while I break down in tears!!