REVIEW: Georgiana and Kitty Deliver An Early Christmas Gift From Pemberly
Through 12/21 @ Shadowland Stages, Ellenville
All photos by Jeff Knapp
“Nothing will make you happier this season than celebrating the triumph of love in a crowded theater.”
Where do you like your Christmas theater? Whether you’re visiting Whoville, Scrooge & Marley or just want to shoot your eye out in Hohman, Indiana, there’s Christmas all over the world on area stages. If you’re looking for universal truths, romance and family ties you must head to Jane Austen’s Pemberly.
Shadowland Stages completes the Christmas at Pemberly trilogy of Pride & Prejudice sequels with Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberly by Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon playing in Ellenville through 12/21.
Georgiana & Kitty, if you remember, are the youngest sisters of Pride & Prejudice's lead couple Fitzwilliam Darcy (Ben Williamson) and Elizabeth Bennet (Melody Ladd). Georgiana Darcy (Holly Gayle) is a very serious, dedicated and disciplined concert pianist and Kitty Bennet (Haron Perlman) is her optimistic, cheerful best friend. Georgiana has been carrying on an epistolary love affair with Henry Gray (Evan Sibley) for the past year and has rashly invited him to Christmas celebrations at Pemberly.
Pemberly is Darcy’s family's great house which proved to be a significant factor in turning Elizabeth to Darcy’s favor. The Bennet ladies are all here minus their husbands. The eldest Jane Bingley (a calm and watchful Valerie Lynn Brett), the still unmarried Mary (Lizzy Cenicola) and Lydia Wickham (Lena Pepe, delightful as the grain of sand in this oyster) who has not relinquished her role as family trouble maker.
There is more than enough Bennet material for a season of plays devoted to them. Shadowland Stages and their Artistic Director Brendan Burke have approached this particular play with deep appreciation, respect and care and are hitting on all cylinders with their penultimate production of these titles. The theatre was packed Sunday afternoon and it was fantastic to hear that Shadowland Stages had their best attendance this season in their 48 year history.
Henry Grey shows up with his friend Thomas O’Brien (Thane Madsen) who is the perfect temperamental match for Kitty. Madsen has a great stage presence; your eye naturally goes to his great fame and I was always pleased to see he was having the most fun on stage playing the boyfriend, hail fellow well met.
The path of this true love must be interrupted by an intercepted letter, a furious Darcy denunciation and six years until we arrive in London six Christmases later. Georgiana has invited the Bennett, Darcys, Bingham and Wickhams to a Christmas Eve concert. How do we get to a full cast rendition of “Joy to the World” at curtain? Well, that’s all in the playing.
Ben Williamson makes a fine Darcy, all mistaken diffidence opening and embracing you in time like the sun coming out on a grey winter day. There can be no stronger Elizabeth than Melody Ladd’s who does so much with so little; she is the natural center of this spirited family of women.
Holly Gayle makes Georgiana a force and if you haven’t guessed her secret by the end, you will still not be too surprised that the character has hidden talents by the way this powerful actor plays her. Perhaps borrowing some of her confidante’s strength, Sharon Perlman is irresistibly bouncy and bright with her infectious laugh until she gives her sister Lydia the tongue lashing she deserves. Indoor fireworks.
Next Tuesday, 12/16 is the 250th birthday of Jane Austen if you need any further inducement to attend this spirited tribute to her and her creations.
Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberly is a crowd pleasing literary alternative to the louder American holiday offerings. Nothing will make you happier this season than celebrating the triumph of love in a crowded theater. If you can get a ticket, it’s well worth the trip.
Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberly plays at Shadowland Stages through 12/21. Tickets: www.shadowlandstages.org or 845-647-5511
