Reagan Stage continues their tradition of theatrical performances with their newest play, “Pride & Prejudice.” While the production had some strong elements, overall it fell a bit short of being truly memorable.
One of the play’s highlights was the music. The selections were historically appropriate for the Regency era, with one of the actors providing live piano and vocals while the theater technicians moved props and backgrounds. This made for a perfect transition between scenes without people watching them change from scene to scene.
Another great thing about the play was the costumes. The dresses and suits set the right mood for the time period they were aiming for, with the lead actors, Mr Darcy (Ethan Heare) and Elizabeth Bennett (Lauren Nichols) having the best costumes out of everybody else.
However, the play struggled in other areas. Most noticeably, the background remained largely unchanged throughout the performance. From the Bennett house to the ballroom to an outdoor scene, it all stayed the same. Understandably, it’s challenging to change the set on a tight schedule, but it felt like more props or backdrops could have been used to better represent the shift in scenes and locations.
Overall, the play was enjoyable. The audience loved it and gave plenty of praise after the show for a meet and greet with the actors. Reagan Stage did a great job with this play and there is no doubt people will be excited for their upcoming musical, “Prince of Egypt.”
