If Mrs. Bennet had her way, Elizabeth Bennet would have been married well before the intermission of San Marcos’s fall play, Pride and Prejudice. As it turns out, Mrs. Bennet would not have to wait much longer as both Elizabeth and Mr Darcy realized their feelings for each other just before the curtain fell on yet another dazzling fall play.
Pride and Prejudice, adapted from Jane Austen’s 1813 novel, is what readers today would consider a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance and takes place in the country town of Hartford, England. Because of this, the entire cast spoke in an English accent, though some were more regal than others.
“The Bennet family did not need to have a very fancy or good British accent because we’re supposed to be poor,” said Naomi Voight, who played Jane Bennet, “For the people that played people of higher class who were richer and throwing the balls, they had to have a more regal accent.”
The play follows Elizabeth Bennet and the rest of the Bennet girls, gentle Jane, impulsive Lydia, played by Nikki Seppala Kurnik, overlooked Kitty, played by Kat Vachovska and intelligent Mary, played by Haylie Preston Mendoza, as they search for love in English society.
“[Jane] is very stereotyped as a woman in the 1800s who is just there to get married to a man. So I was trying to find like colors and aspects of her that go beyond just loving Mr. Bingley,” said Voigt.
The play itself was an evening of laughter and love as Camille Tracy, Elizabeth Bennet, and Josiah Mitchell, Mr Darcy, engaged in a fierce battle to outwit each other at every turn. The tension was palpable and disdain in their eyes for the first half. Mr. Darcy was eventually unable to deny his love for Miss Bennet.
Mrs. Bennet, played by Reagan Conway, spared no second to become overexcited. With an ear in her five daughters’ love lives and a fan in her face, she stole many of the audience’s laughs. Though, mortified to come second place (mortified!), Mr Collins, was easily just as amusing. Actor Christian Morales resembled a peacock, something very fitting for his character.
“I feel especially with this cast, since it’s smaller and so intimate, we all got so close. We were genuinely like a family,” said Voigt.
Pride and Prejudice was truly swoon-worthy and a delight to watch. Though closing night was Saturday, November 16th, for more Pride and Prejudice, check out the movie adaptation starring Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen or the novel itself, which can be found in San Marcos’s library.
For more from our spectacular theater department, look out for the upcoming One Acts, January 16th through 17th at 7pm and the senior musical, The Wizard of Oz, showing January 23rd through 25th.
