Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Georgiana & Kitty play at Taproot Theatre. Final chapter in Lauren Gunderson’s and Margot Melcon’s “Christmas at Pemberley” Pride and Prejudice trilogy. Filled with the hallmark themes of Jane Austen’s stories. Relatable to online dating.
See it if you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice.
Synopsis from the Theatre: Georgiana Darcy is an accomplished pianist but wary of romance. Kitty Bennet is a bright-eyed optimist and a perfect best friend. These two younger sisters are ready for their own adventures in life and love, starting with the arrival of an admirer and secret correspondent. Meddlesome families and outmoded expectations won’t stop these determined friends from forging their own way in a holiday tale filled with music, ambition, sisterhood, and forgiveness. The third and final play in the trilogy by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon.
Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 11/24/23 – See my previous preview posts here.
Type: Play
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: (Very?) Few
Static (Stationary) Set?: Yes
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: Pride and Prejudice is required reading (or “watching” if you prefer a movie/play) to understand and appreciate this play. Don’t worry if you didn’t see the previous two chapters in the “Christmas at Pemberley” trilogy. I saw the 2nd and 3rd chapters sequentially without seeing the 1st chapter and I still enjoyed the shows. But if you’re like me and you’re not an ardent Pride and Prejudice aficionado, I highly recommend reviewing the helpful family tree in the program on page A-3.
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Equity Actors: 2
Total Number of Actors: 9
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium Speed
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours
Was there an intermission? Yes
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No, but it was good. Since I saw the 2nd and 3rd chapters of this trilogy, I’m now curious to see the 1st chapter.
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
- Favorite Line: When Mr. Darcy said, “There’s always a letter” which was a wink to the audience on how Jane Austen’s conflicts often start with a letter.
- Georgiana Casting: As someone regularly featured in Seattle’s theatre music scene, Clair Marx was perfectly cast as the virtuoso Georgiana Darcy.
- Modern Dating: Whether or not it was the playwrights’ intention, I loved how the script evoked feelings experienced in online dating. The Jane Austen-esqe letters remind me of how chatting on the dating apps builds so much anticipation/expectation potentially leading up an endearingly awkward meeting in-person (or a horrible catfish!). There was one such meeting in the play that was reminiscent of an old HappySlip sketch (see 1:50 to 2:50).
- Reprised Roles: Many key characters in this production were previously cast in Taproot Theatre’s past “Christmas at Pemberley” productions. For example, in the 1st and 3rd chapter, Shanna Allman played Mary Bennet and Melanie Hampton portrayed Jane Bingley. Annie Yim played Elizabeth Darcy (nee Bennet) in the 2nd and 3rd chapter. Throughout the entire trilogy, Kelley Karcher portrayed the narcissistic Lydia Wickam while Brian Pucheu played the cold Mr. Darcy. This role reprisal promoted a feeling of continuity and familiarity between productions.
Rant(s)
- Keyboard: As I mentioned in Village Theatre’s current Beautiful production, there’s a Seattle live theatre problem with cheap-sounding on-stage electric keyboards. While I’m always happy to hear Claire Marx performing live music, I wish she could play a real piano on-stage in this production. An upright piano would have fit the bill perfectly for the small theatre space.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
- Clucking: The cacophony of the sisters talking all at once reminded me of a MadTV comedy sketch parodying The View.
Theatre Company: Taproot Theatre
Venue: Jewell Mainstage at Taproot Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 204 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Price: Medium
Tickets: https://taproottheatre.org/shows/2023/georgiana-kitty-christmas-at-pemberley/
Ticket Affordability Options: TodayTix
Dates: November 22 to December 30, 2023
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Paid lot or usually-free street parking. I always find free street parking on Greenwood Ave just South of the theatre.
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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures under video and in video by Robert Wade Photography.
Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and/or video below
@showsiveseen "Georgiana & Kitty" #play at @TaprootTheatre starring Claire Marx & @Ays Garcia. Directed by Karen Lund. Final chapter of Lauren Gunderson's and Margot Melcon's "#Christmas at #Pemberley" #JaneAusten trilogy. Filled with the #hallmark themes of #PrideAndPrejudice. Relatable to online dating. Photos: Robert Wade. Review: showsiveseen.com/7519 #theatre #showsiveseen #xmas ♬ Please Santa Please – Pentatonix
| ROLE | NAME |
| Kitty Bennet | Ays Garcia* |
| Elizabeth Darcy | Annie Yim |
| Fitzwilliam Darcy | Brian Pucheu |
| Henry Grey | William Eames |
| Georgiana Darcy | Claire Marx |
| Jane Bingley | Melame Hampton |
| Mary Bennet | Shanna Allman |
| Lydia Wickham | Kelly Karcher* |
| Thomas O’Brien | Jeremy Steckler |
| — | — |
| Georgiana, Lydia, & Jane U/S | Rebecca Gelzer |
| Darcy & Thomas U/S | Elijah Spreier |
| Kitty, Lizzy, & Mary U/S | Ariel Rose |
| Darcy & Henry U/S | David Breyman |
| — | — |
| PRODUCTION TEAM | |
| Director | Karen Lund** |
| Assistant Director | Bretteney Beverly |
| Playwrights | Lauren Gunderson, Margot Melcon |
| Original Compositions | Michael Nutting |
| Associate Artistic Director | Bretteney Beverly |
| Co-Scenic Designer | Amanda Sweger |
| Sound & Co-Scenic Designer | Mark Lund |
| Costume Designer | Pete Rush |
| Lighting Designer | Tim Wratten |
| Stage Manager | Nik Nolen* |
| Dialect Coach | Dimitri Woods |
| Property Master | Andrea Spraycar |
| Dramaturg Team | Kelly Flynt, Sonja Lowe, Dami Munroe |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Nicola Krause |
| Backstage Crew Swing | Ashley Burns |
| Casting Director | Bretteney Beverly |
| Casting Consultant | Jes Spencer |
| Dresser | Luna McMeen, Brooke Thomas |
| Draper | Martha Mitchell |
| Stitcher | Veronica Dimoff, Scian Hayes, Lucy Cavener |
| Wig Designer | Joyce Degenfelder |
| Wig Specialist | Jenn Hill |
| Master Electrician | Aiyana Stephens |
| Scenic Carpenter | Tim Samland ^ |
| Light Board Operator | Matthew Ray |
| Sound Board Operator | Andi Villegas |
| Electricians | Clint Bull, Morgan Poirer, Matthew Ray, Anna Van Vleet, Jacob Viramontes |
| Scenic Strike/Load-in | Elke Johnson ^, Kimmy Mar ^, M. Stephanie Watson^ |
** Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
^ Member of IATSE Local No. 15
