Pride and Prejudice in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has a combination Jane’s-hot and a preview of the stage production of Pride and Prejudice at the Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre, opening this week. It sounds like the cast is a real nest o’Janeites and having a great time with it!
Appearing opposite him as the strong-headed, plain-spoken Elizabeth Bennett is Leah M. Curney.
For Curney, it’s an opportunity to play a character from a book she has loved since a friend lent it to her in high school. It’s also one that for Curney has withstood the test of time.
[. . .]
The very modern misses who appear as Elizabeth Bennett’s sisters also find much to like in Austen’s 1813 novel.
Whenever Alana Rader, who plays Kitty Bennett, has a bad day, she retreats to the Regency by popping in a tape of “Pride and Prejudice” or “Sense and Sensibility.”
“It’s Jane Austen therapy,” says Rader. “These could easily be modern-day heroines.”
For Laura Lee Brautigam, who plays Lydia, watching the mini-series of “Pride and Prejudice” was a regular part of her high-school social life.
“We would have ‘Pride and Prejudice’ parties,” she says. “We would get into comfy clothes, watch one tape, eat, watch another tape, have girl time, laugh and eat.”
Erica Highberg, who plays Jane, admits it had been a long time since she had read any of Austen’s novels. But, now that she’s in rehearsal, she has gotten reacquainted with the author and her characters.
“I love her humor. She’s so funny,” says Highberg. “It’s more fun now as I imagine the cast of characters.”
The article also has gift suggestions for the Janeites in your life. Thanks to Alert Janeite Lisa for the link!
December 4th, 2007 at 9:06 am
JASNA Pittsburgh Region is looking forward to this production–many of us are going as a group to the matinee on Sunday, 12/16 (The Birthday!) and will wear our nametags & talk about Jane in loud voices at the interval.