Sarah Gobran, April Hughes (Photo: Mark Dean)

Pride & Prejudice

By Fern Siegel

Jane Austen published "Pride and Prejudice" anonymously in 1813 - and would never have guessed its first line is among the most famous in literary history.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

Nor could Austen have foreseen her British comedy of manners, which satirized society's pretensions about wealth and marriage, would be ripe theatrical fare.

Now, part of the Brits Off-Broadway series at 59E59 St Theaters, the Guildford Shakespeare Company's adaptation is a sassy, clever three-hander that mines Pride & Prejudice for its wit and insights, while showcasing the talents of three excellent actors: April Hughes, Luke Barton and Sarah Gobran. The company doubles and triples performances, playing 18 roles in the novel, male and female.

Director Abigail Pickard Price wrote this version with Matt Pinches and Sarah Gobran. They have trimmed P&P to its essence.

The story revolves around the Bennet girls and their potential mates. Due to laws that prevented women from inheriting, Longbourn, the Bennet family estate, will go to a distant cousin, a pompous clergyman and sycophant to his patron, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Lizzie rejects a union with him out of hand, but not being rich, the Bennet girls, their avaricious mother insists, must be married. Will their expectations of love be met? Will the men appreciate their intelligence, as well as their beauty?

Luke Barton, Sarah Hughes. (Photo: Mark Dean)

The title says it all. Eliza (Lizzie) Bennet and the uber-wealthy Mr. Darcy have a tense relationship. He is the epitome of pride, given his social position, and she, viewing his imperious manner, develops a prejudice against him.

Or as Darcy later puts it, as their relationship evolves: "You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased." Austen's take on matrimony was blunter: "Do anything rather than marry without affection."

Of note, Austen created the first feminist heroine in literature - Eliza Bennett - played by April Hughes. Barton plays Mr. Darcy, while Gobran takes on Mrs. and Jane Bennet, as well as key friends: the practical Charlotte Lucas and snobbish Caroline Bingley. Barton's Lydia Benet, whose flirtation with Wickham is a dramatic subplot, and Lady Catherine are stylized comedic profiles.

Set in Regency England, the show not only highlights the cast's versatility, thanks to designer Neil Irish's simple, effective prop delineators - a ribbon, a hat, a dress - but a wonderful reminder that Austen's observations still resonate. Framed paintings double as set changes. Sound designer Matt Eaton supplies period music and Mark Dymock adds lighting. 

By opting for considered simplicity and keeping the pace brisk, director Price allows audiences to focus on what's most important: Austen's smart dialogue. And that makes this incarnation a must for theatergoers, as well as Austen fans.

Pride & Prejudice

59E59 Theaters

59 East 59 St.
Tickets:  www.59e59.org
Running time: 2 Hours, 20 Minutes

Through June 29