Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley – In The Press

REVIEWS

• SEATTLE MET MAGAZINE | Stefan Milne
  • “I’ve never totally jived with Jane Austen. … But, well, I enjoyed it.”
  • “…a zippy, farcical rom-com about awkward people unfolds.”
  • “Particularly in the first half, the jokes land, due as much to the performers — leads Shanna Allman and Calder Shilling were particularly notable — as the writing.”
  • “…if you’re looking for a holiday play … Miss Bennet is a fine match.”
• BROADWAYWORLD.COM | Kelly Flynt
  • “…Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley offers a holiday diversion of wit, charm, and heart.”
  • “Taproot Theatre has provided a show that should be on everyone’s holiday wish list.”
  • “Playwrights Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon craft the words of the characters in a most Austen-like manner.”
  • “The comedic overtones and social commentary are very much like an original Austen work.”
  • “Shanna Allman’s portrayal of Mary is quick-witted, wry, and full of heart. … She is the champion of every serious girl who refuses to be silly for the benefit or attention of a man.”
  • “Melanie Hampton as Jane Bingley is so very Jane. All smiles and graciousness, Hampton reminds us why the eldest Bennet daughter was always known for her kindness.”
  • “Hana Lass as Elizabeth Darcy provides a Lizzy that has grown into her role as mistress of a great house yet retains the spark of individuality that we have always loved in Lizzy.”
  • “Kelly Karcher as Lydia Wickham is as mischievous as ever. … Karcher provides a tiny window into the complexities of Lydia and makes her redeemable despite her poor decisions.”
  • “Sarah Ware as Anne de Bourgh provides the villain the want. … Ware shapes her character admirable while maintaining her signature haughty airs.”
  • “Brian Pucheu as Fitzwilliam Darcy and Dimitri Woods as Charles Bingley are best when they are together. … Their comedic timing and reading each other’s minds is impeccable.”
  • “Calder Shilling as Arthur de Bourgh is perfection. His timidity, self-consciousness, sense of honor, and studious nature blend into a most unsuspecting leading man. You can’t help but root for him and want all nature of good things for him.”
  • “The costumes by Pete Rush are exquisite. The fabrics were lush and rich. The basic shapes of the era were adorned with marvelous details. The best part was that the characters seemed to be at home in the costumes as opposed to wearing costumes.”
  • “Amanda Sweger provides a set that allows different areas for activities without ever having to move a single piece.”
  • “Director Karen Lund has found her sweet spot in the Regency era. She uses her understanding of the subtleties of the dialogue and the rules of society to build a playground for her actors.”
  • “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is an escape from the bustle of the season and like a visit with old, dear friends.”
• SEATTLE WEEKLY | Gavin Borchert
  • Some Austen plots are propelled by the uncertainty of whom exactly the heroine will end up with; this isn’t one. But even as the destination is never out of sight, the journey is absorbing — particularly thanks to Shanna Allman as Mary, who explores feelingly the part’s extraordinary range: wit, rage, pathos, and subtler but no less affecting attributes like resignation, not to mention every nuance of burgeoning attraction.”
  • “Kelly Karcher, as Lydia, is equally splendid in an even trickier role. … the playwrights allow her to grow, quite movingly, from a vulgar adolescent irritant to a woman who at last squarely faces the truth of her ill-advised choices and even realizes the satisfaction of selflessness — and Karcher convinces at every step.”
  • “Naturally the authors bring to bear the skills without which you wouldn’t even bother attempting an Austen sequel: humor, deft plotting, lively dialogue. But the show’s most impressively Austenian traits are its unlabored flow and polish, leaving no clumsinesses or implausibilities to stumble over (misunderstandings are cleared up quickly, not left hanging for plot-prolonging purposes) and no jarring inconsistencies with — well, my conceptions of the characters, at any rate.”
  • “Perhaps the highest praise of Miss Bennet is that it never calls attention to how difficulet it must have been to pull off.”
• DRAMA IN THE HOOD | Eilish McLean
  • “Miss Bennet is witty, charming, and chock full of some truly fantastic acting.”
  • “Shilling in particular shows off an impressive emotional range, fully selling everything from humourous social-awkwardness, to heartbreak, to a monologue of self-respect and acceptance that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Shakespearean history.”
  • “Allman also does a fantastic job, pulling off a character who is funny, endearing, but not necessarily likable, while Pucheu perfectly pulls off his role as the notoriously stand-offish Mr. Darcy. His tone of voice never changes throughout the production, but the very best of Austen’s irony is alive in every line he delivers. I would suggest paying attention to the hysterical minutia of his facial expressions as well, his eyebrows deserve to appear in the cast-list in their own right.”
  • “The efforts of costume designer Pete Rush must also be recognized. Mary’s evolving emotional state is reflected in her sartorial charges, eventually abandoning her blue colour scheme for a dazzling red gown in the heartwarming final scene of the play. The choice to dress Pucheu in a series of cheerfully patterned waistcoats added a fantastic aesthetic juxtaposition to his character’s reserved behaviour.”
  • “… Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is a fantastically funny success, perfect for the holiday season. Get your tickets soon, I have a feeling they may sell out.”
• ECLECTIC ARTS | Mark Sugiyama
  • “I found Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley incredibly engaging.”
  • “The performances from the entire cast were just stellar. After only ten minutes, I was lost in their world of England and found myself anticipating what was going to happen next.”
  • “The comical aspect was a surprise addition as I was unfamiliar with the story.”
  • “If you’re looking for a holiday show with plenty of heart, performed by a seasoned group of professionals, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley will hit the mark.”
• MIRYAM’S THEATER MUSINGS | Miryam Gordon
  • “Directed by the firm, experienced hand of Karen Lund, the silly, funny parts never go too far and there are lovely moments of subtle humor to look for.”
  • “The entire cast is beautifully cast, and the usual stellar technical support Amanda Sweger’s proper Engligh drawing room setting to Pete Rush’s period costuming and Kent Cubbage’s subtle lighting provide great support.”
  • “Mark Lund’s musical interludes help scene and time changes, while [Karen] Lund includes transitions of mimed action that intriguingly add a layer of peeping through the curtains…”
  • “Each of the actors fills out his or her role with panache and style.”
  • “…the growing affection between the headstrong Mary and the befuddled and socially-awkward Arthur are a real delight, here.”
  • “Shilling is almost comically stupid about things, in a way that almost makes your jaw drop, but saves himself just in the nick of time.”
  • “Allman take sher time to allow Mary to realize that a real romance might be heading her way.”
  • “The machinations of Lydia, first in that mischievous and inappropriate way, and then Gunderson and Melcon’s allowing her to develop a more mature outlook and amend her ways, is one of the smaller joys of this piece. And Karcher’s special laugh matches exactly what you might find yourself imagining when you read about her in Austen’s book.”
  • “It’s a delightful evening and includes some solid laughs, as well, and all that is a plus!”
• NORTHWEST PRIME TIME | Steven Sieden
  • “Personally, I’m not a big Jane Austen fan. Too much talk and not enough action for me. However Taproot’s production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley kept me interested and involved for the full two hours of almost constant dialogue.”
  • “Taproot’s ornate costumes and professional stagecraft combined with the show’s highly talented cast to create a two-hour escape will worth your time during the busy Holiday Season.”