Review of Kate Hamill's Sense And Sensibility
Portland Center Stage Armory
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary
After our pre-talk Happy Hour of Jane Austen, our members adjourned to the theater where we sat together for a Sunday matinee of Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, performed on February 3, 2019. What a fun performance of comedy and creative staging with spinning furniture and a mercurial cast who played multiple characters regardless of gender, generation, size, and shape!
Early on in a time travel twist, the cast wriggled out of their modern day garments to transform into the 19th century characters of Sense and Sensibility. They did not disappoint our sensibilities. The cast was constantly but sensibly in motion and also emotion back and forth fluidly across the stage spinning their chairs and tables to denote scene and character changes. There was so much to see that if you didn’t eyeball the myriad movements all at once, you could easily miss the gossip that was all abuzz in this lively production.
Then there was the sound effects. The delightful Mrs. Jennings constantly buzzed her gossip. Other characters disappeared off stage and into the aisles to interject their gossipy conversation. The crashing of glasses for dramatic emphasis and scene changes kept the audience alert to the unexpected.
Similarly, if you knew in advance that a line from Emma was inserted into the play, you looked for it. Sure enough one was in Edward’s engagement speech when he says to Elinor, “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” Sigh! What a romantic thing to say and so apt!
Professor Emeritus, Pauline Beard caught the pilfering. “This is Mr. Knightley’s lovely line in Emma. (Chapter 49). No wonder the playwright used it. Edward’s engagement request is written in the third person with a remarkable distance from what was actually said. Clever move on the playwright’s part.”
What else did our JASNA group think about the play? What were some of the reactions?
Of course, we raved and gushed about the characters, their wit, the acting, the setting, and everything in between.
Stephanie Vardavas said, ”I thought the adaptation and staging were extremely clever, and I found myself howling with laughter many times. The actress who plays Mrs. Jennings is wonderful, and both Marianne and Elinor are terrific.”
Erudite JASNA scholar, Arnie Perlstein offered, “"This production of Kate Hamill's adaptation of Sense & Sensibility was spectacular in every way-- the writing, the staging and the acting."
Longtime member, Dula Baker said, “Anyone not familiar with the novel would have been lost in the fast pace of the play. I found the quirkiness of the quickness, the wheeled props, and the trading of roles (even while both characters were on stage) fascinating. The actress who played Mrs. Musgroves was outstanding. The choreography was amazingly executed; no one sailed off the stage or crashed into anyone or anything. Though the novel is not funny, this play was hilarious; even the actors succumbed to silent laughter at times. This event was an afternoon well spent! Also, the Happy Hour provided by the theater and Margaret Christmann's presentation were well received.”
Another longtime member Ceil Huntington affirmed, “The synchronization was amazing! I never seen so much movement in a play. It’s incredible, almost like a ballet. I’m impressed with the mechanics.”
English Professor Emeritus, Pauline Beard agreed, “It was light hearted and fun rather than farcical. I also appreciated that this production kept fairly closely to Austen’s text. I loved the fact even the wine for Marianne was mentioned correctly: Constantia…which Elinor promptly quaffs! I disliked the way Lord Middleton’s dogs were shown in the Ashland production...far too confusing and loud, but here I laughed out loud at the line about pointers...referring to the dogs...but using the stretched out finger pointing off stage where three men pointed back.... I also loved the bed scene with the lamp and teacup...ingenious. The use of chairs and door frames was amazing...how anyone did not get in the way I can't imagine. When Edward came in at the end did he really mean to fall? The actors applauded him…but I think it was a mistake yes? Maybe they had many such slips and trips in rehearsals with all the movement...it seemed almost choreographed at times.”
Conversely, a few of our members offered some enlightening criticisms that puts the performance into perspective:
Ceil Huntington noted, “They’ve taken liberties with the text. This is slapsticky.”
Pauline Beard added, “My only criticisms are to do with acting...I think Mrs. Jennings went on too long about Chapman (?) in her bedroom…and it turns out to be her wolf hound…it was funny at the beginning but she drew it out so lengthily (playing for the limelight after The Oregonian review maybe?) that the actor playing Brandon had to get back into his serious role and lost it. Also the actress playing Anne Steele was too high pitched and spoke so rapidly that half of her lines were lost. Her lines are important because she lets out the secret of Lucy’s engagement. I think that might have been lost on anyone in the audience who does not know the text.”
There you have it! Both thoughtful and off the cuff reactions to Kate Hamill’s Sense and Sensibility in Portland! If you’re curious to know more about this intriguing play, read the script available at Multnomah County Library or online at Amazon and elsewhere.
Portland Center Stage Armory
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary
After our pre-talk Happy Hour of Jane Austen, our members adjourned to the theater where we sat together for a Sunday matinee of Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, performed on February 3, 2019. What a fun performance of comedy and creative staging with spinning furniture and a mercurial cast who played multiple characters regardless of gender, generation, size, and shape!
Early on in a time travel twist, the cast wriggled out of their modern day garments to transform into the 19th century characters of Sense and Sensibility. They did not disappoint our sensibilities. The cast was constantly but sensibly in motion and also emotion back and forth fluidly across the stage spinning their chairs and tables to denote scene and character changes. There was so much to see that if you didn’t eyeball the myriad movements all at once, you could easily miss the gossip that was all abuzz in this lively production.
Then there was the sound effects. The delightful Mrs. Jennings constantly buzzed her gossip. Other characters disappeared off stage and into the aisles to interject their gossipy conversation. The crashing of glasses for dramatic emphasis and scene changes kept the audience alert to the unexpected.
Similarly, if you knew in advance that a line from Emma was inserted into the play, you looked for it. Sure enough one was in Edward’s engagement speech when he says to Elinor, “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” Sigh! What a romantic thing to say and so apt!
Professor Emeritus, Pauline Beard caught the pilfering. “This is Mr. Knightley’s lovely line in Emma. (Chapter 49). No wonder the playwright used it. Edward’s engagement request is written in the third person with a remarkable distance from what was actually said. Clever move on the playwright’s part.”
What else did our JASNA group think about the play? What were some of the reactions?
Of course, we raved and gushed about the characters, their wit, the acting, the setting, and everything in between.
Stephanie Vardavas said, ”I thought the adaptation and staging were extremely clever, and I found myself howling with laughter many times. The actress who plays Mrs. Jennings is wonderful, and both Marianne and Elinor are terrific.”
Erudite JASNA scholar, Arnie Perlstein offered, “"This production of Kate Hamill's adaptation of Sense & Sensibility was spectacular in every way-- the writing, the staging and the acting."
Longtime member, Dula Baker said, “Anyone not familiar with the novel would have been lost in the fast pace of the play. I found the quirkiness of the quickness, the wheeled props, and the trading of roles (even while both characters were on stage) fascinating. The actress who played Mrs. Musgroves was outstanding. The choreography was amazingly executed; no one sailed off the stage or crashed into anyone or anything. Though the novel is not funny, this play was hilarious; even the actors succumbed to silent laughter at times. This event was an afternoon well spent! Also, the Happy Hour provided by the theater and Margaret Christmann's presentation were well received.”
Another longtime member Ceil Huntington affirmed, “The synchronization was amazing! I never seen so much movement in a play. It’s incredible, almost like a ballet. I’m impressed with the mechanics.”
English Professor Emeritus, Pauline Beard agreed, “It was light hearted and fun rather than farcical. I also appreciated that this production kept fairly closely to Austen’s text. I loved the fact even the wine for Marianne was mentioned correctly: Constantia…which Elinor promptly quaffs! I disliked the way Lord Middleton’s dogs were shown in the Ashland production...far too confusing and loud, but here I laughed out loud at the line about pointers...referring to the dogs...but using the stretched out finger pointing off stage where three men pointed back.... I also loved the bed scene with the lamp and teacup...ingenious. The use of chairs and door frames was amazing...how anyone did not get in the way I can't imagine. When Edward came in at the end did he really mean to fall? The actors applauded him…but I think it was a mistake yes? Maybe they had many such slips and trips in rehearsals with all the movement...it seemed almost choreographed at times.”
Conversely, a few of our members offered some enlightening criticisms that puts the performance into perspective:
Ceil Huntington noted, “They’ve taken liberties with the text. This is slapsticky.”
Pauline Beard added, “My only criticisms are to do with acting...I think Mrs. Jennings went on too long about Chapman (?) in her bedroom…and it turns out to be her wolf hound…it was funny at the beginning but she drew it out so lengthily (playing for the limelight after The Oregonian review maybe?) that the actor playing Brandon had to get back into his serious role and lost it. Also the actress playing Anne Steele was too high pitched and spoke so rapidly that half of her lines were lost. Her lines are important because she lets out the secret of Lucy’s engagement. I think that might have been lost on anyone in the audience who does not know the text.”
There you have it! Both thoughtful and off the cuff reactions to Kate Hamill’s Sense and Sensibility in Portland! If you’re curious to know more about this intriguing play, read the script available at Multnomah County Library or online at Amazon and elsewhere.