For a real treat, there is nothing like visiting the Doheny Family’s ancestral Greystone Mansion and being treated to a delicious send-up of all six of Jane Austen’s novels, all played by a revolving cast of six actors, who, by turns, play the winsome ingenue and her protective matron; father, or what-have-you; the brooding leading man; or the dastardly villain. It’s a great way to remember what we loved about her stories and for the actors to exercise their chops as well. Theatre 40’s stable of young actors is more than up to the task, while the audience members get to clap, boo, and hiss with abandon.
As Jane Austen, Brenda Lock plays the perfect hostess, inviting audiences into her salon for previews of her most famous works. The six actors – Holly Sidell and Michael Mullen as Lady and Gentleman #1; Megan Deford and Steven G. Frankenfield as Lady and Gentleman #2; Alison Blanchard and Todd Ball as Lady and Gentleman #3 — are having great fun sending up Austen’s most sincere couplings. Memorable characters “strut their stuff upon the stage,” as Shakespeare would have it. But it is interesting to detect a subtle maturation of Austen’s techniques through each of the stories.
Playwright Syrie James uses each of six vignettes to show how Jane Austen fashioned a recurring “will he/won’t he” narrative to create suspense. And she shines a spotlight on the prevailing Regency game of the day: acquiring wealth by marrying into it. Rather than straightforward synopses of each novel, the characters introduce snippets from movies, television series, and even previous onstage performances to round out such controversies as “Who was the perfect ‘Mr. Darcy’? Colin Firth or Matthew Macfadyen?”
As each actor plays several parts in each section, props and costumes (designed by playwright James) play an important part in telling each vignette. And Artistic Director David Stafford Hunt’s management of the mansion’s living room space in which to perform helps make it a workable space for performance. If you remember Jane Austen’s novels, you’ll love this funny and fast-paced production.
Jane Austen in 89 Minutes at the Greystone Mansion (905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills 90230) has three more performances this weekend (February 7 through 9): Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 2 pm, and Sunday at 1 pm. For reservations, or Theatre 40 subscription information, phone (310) 364-0535 or online at http://theatre40.org.
