Flirty From Afar
Hey Pride & Prejudice People! I hope you, dear Reader, had a restful holiday season! New Years Eve (and our Opening night on New Year’s Day) is right around the corner, but all of these holidays are challenging to celebrate while keeping each other safe and obeying social distance protocols.
We at Pride & Prejudice have found a whole lot of connection with our cast and Artistic team while rehearsing this play, and we invite you to share in our joy during the live shows Jan 1st and 2nd. I’ll be honest, what started off as “well, I guess we will try Zoom theatre” has transformed into a powerful way to experience live art! Social distance doesn’t keep away that unmistakable chemistry that happens with live performances. Live theatre is closer than ever; and before, I could only ever afford back row balcony seats.
I bet our beloved Austen characters would have had no problem with the social distance. They wouldn’t dream of getting close, because gossip is everything and young people were always supervised. The only gateway to any physical activity was marriage – which is INSANE to think about. Marriage is so… final! It’s a capital-C Commitment. I have trouble committing to dinner plans – I can’t imagine having to marry someone just to find out they’re a bad kisser!
So, what’s the deal, 1800s? Why so prohibitive about physical contact among single people? Back then, women were viewed as emotional, “the fairer sex”, and needed this restraint to remain pure and virginal in the praise of the Church (was this Anglican or Catholic? Ugh, I can never get this right…). Logistically, this mattered because men expected potential wives to keep these virtues while they were courting.
With all of this in mind, Jane Austen and her characters had to flirt in less conspicuous ways. It’s downright devious how suggestive and provocative they can be with a simple gesture or phrase. One time in rehearsal, our Darcy, Dan Lin, whispered the word “Wordsworth” and flushed gasps were heard backstage. It’s always the most innocent and unassuming lines that cause our director, Lavina, to type “HOT” in the chat and she’s not wrong, folks. There is some STEAM in this play and we are here for it!
Now that we are heading into our final week of rehearsals, more than the drama is starting to heat up. Costumes are coming into play; memorized actors are putting down their scripts, picking up cues and the energy is palpable as it all comes together. We will be rehearsing feverishly in the days ahead, but we can’t wait to bring this to you in less than a week!
I’ll write again soon, dear Reader!
Pride & Prejudice Productions
