My final weeks in Utah are marked by technical and dress rehearsals of Pride and Prejudice – adding costumes, lights, and sound to the mix. It’s a grueling schedule for the actors (as they go between two or three such rehearsals each day) but, for me, it’s the culmination of the process. We work in detail on the look and feel of each scene. We obsess over each transition. And we begin to perform for audiences with two preview performances.
I started this process hoping to find a unique theatrical language for Austen’s story on stage. Certainly, the structure of the adaptation has dictated a rhythm and pace of its own. Thirty-plus scenes flowing into each other. An epic story told in a single scenic environment. In the end, I think we’ve achieved a sort of hybrid production – capturing the familiarity of the story and characters through an imaginative visual approach.
Opening day. I am joined by Round House trustees Sally Patterson and Bonnie Hammerschlag, who have made the grand journey to lend their support. Such a lovely gesture. My wife, Connan, is here with our boys. I introduce everyone to my new friends from the Utah company.
The production opens. And I head home. It’s fun to know that the work will continue thru early September. I will begin rehearsing the first production of Round House’s new season while Elizabeth and Darcy continue their courtship out west. It’s been a treat. But I’m geared up for The Talented Mr. Ripley. Bring it on.
Blake
P.S. If you’re interested, here are a couple Pride and Prejudice reviews – from the Salt Lake Tribune and Salt Lake City Weekly.
