Pride and Prejudice
by Druid & Bard
Jul. 13 - Jul. 14
- Obstinate, headstrong girl. Our production will rely on Lizzy to be our main narrator, breaking the 4th wall and bringing the audience along with us into the story using her charming insight, quick wit, and Fleabag-esc narrative. A classic heroine that transcends the era in which she was written. Lizzy is strong, quick, sarcastic, but always endearing. Lizzy knows herself and must be assured in her objectives.
- Mr. Darcy (*insert swoon*). Mr. Darcy is handsome, brooding, offputting, quiet... RICH. Richer than his good friend, Mr. Bingley. However, Mr. Darcy's icy exterior deters the young ladies from pursuing him over his friend, perhaps to his relief. But then along comes Lizzy. She is challenging, and this cracks the frozen wall of Darcy. What is it about her? And why does he like her against his better judgement? ------ Mrs. Gardiner is an intelligent, amiable, sensible, elegant, and generous woman. She is also a good listener whose discretion can typically be counted on and an excellent souce of good advice.
- The eldest Bennet sister. Lauded for her beauty and gentleness, Jane’s lot in life since the day she was born was to marry rich. Always the first daughter to be shown off by her mother, Jane holds a mature exterior, always gentile, and always kind, yet she longs to be more than just a beauty. While Jane is often reserved and quiet, her best friend and sister Lizzy sees a more fiery and passionate side of Jane that boils below the surface.
- Mr. Bingley is the talk of the town! Handsome, generous, kind, charismatic… RICH. While often oggled and pursued for his money and status, he has yet to grow bitter and jaded. Mr. Bingley is the ultimate Golden Retriever man. His easygoing exterior may make him out to be a bit of a simpleton, but deep down he is a nervous, feeling, and thoughtful individual. ------ Mr. Gardiner is the younger brother of Mrs. Bennet, though two siblings could not be less alike. Sensible, respected, kind, generous, and educated, Mr. Gardiner is a loving uncle to the Bennet girls. A tradesman and avid fisherman, he enjoys many of the simple things in life.
- Oh, Mrs. Bennet. A well-intentioned mother, who goes about it in all the worst ways. Truly a woman of her time, as she is a mother of five daughters, all she wishes for is that their beauty will capture men of great wealth and standing. She is always placing her foot in her mouth and her daughters in embarrassing situations. This mother is a strong antagonist despite thinking she means well. She truly loves her children but is very bad about showing it.
- Mary Bennet is best described as the avid NPR-listening sister. Book smarts galore…. no people skills whatsoever. Stuck up and “better than thou” yet deeply insecure. Mary divides her time between reading and playing instruments, though not very well. She is drab, yet at her core, she hides an intense desire to carve out her own space in the world. Mary’s world changes when Mr. Collins walks into her life and a strange new burgeoning feeling takes hold. ------ Caroline Bingley, sister to Mr. Bingley is vain, antagonistic, and oftentimes snobbish. The "ideal" Regency woman. Perhaps she is vying for Darcy's attention? Or perhaps she is just toying with Lizzy. ------ Georgiana Darcy is the very image of loveliness. She is kind, charismatic, welcoming, and accomplished. Sometimes it's difficult to see how she could ever be related to Darcy, but when she is around her older brother she brings out his very best qualities. The most adoring younger sister and istant best friends with Lizzy.
- They might as well be identical twins. Lydia thinks she knows everything, Kitty believes Lydia knows everything. The most ridiculous of the Bennets… besides their mother. Lydia & Kitty have dreams of grandeur and very poor taste. Both sisters will be puppeteered by one actor/actress. ------ Charlotte Lucas is practical. Dear friends with Lizzy, Charlotte understands her lot in life and will accept whatever opportunity she is lucky enough to grasp, much to Lizzy's shock and disappointment. ------ Lady Anne de Bourgh, the only child and heir of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is sickly, quiet, and cross. Lady Catherine places all her hopes and dreams on Anne to one day marry Darcy. What a match.
- Mr. Collins is the bane of almost everyone's existence. An absolute bore, blunt, and stuck up. He is the epitome of an "ick". He worships Lady Catherine and boasts of her patronage almost as much as he sticks his foot in his mouth. ------ Mr. Wickham is a charismatic rake, a snake in the grass. Suave and a seemingly stand-up gent, Mr. Wickham looks for any opportuity to advance his station and his pocket book. Failing years prior at using Georgiana Darcy for his gain, Wickham finds Lydia an easy enough target. ------ A most true gentleman, Fitzwilliam is best characterized as a genuine, kind, and upstanding individual. Any woman would feel comfortable around him. He is a good friend and cousin to Darcy, he serves as a Colonel in the military, and considers himself a protector of Georgiana Darcy. He admires Darcy's constant pursuit of duty and honor, thus he misconstrues Darcy's blunder of interfereing with Bingley and Jane. Fitz does take a liking to Lizzy and her charm. Perhaps his flirtation snaps Darcy awake, helping him see Lizzy in a new light.
- We apologize for any dissapointment, but this role has been pre-cast.
[graphic: cover of Penguin paperback, via Amazon]
