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Nerinx Hall High School Pride and Prejudice

By • Feb 20th, 2012 • Category: Cappies

Nerinx Hall’s production of Pride and Prejudice this past Friday was an enlightening and fulfilling treat for all.

Pride and Prejudice was originally a romantic novel written by Jane Austen in 1813 that addresses the many issues that 19th century England faced. There are over ten adaptations including movies, plays, and comic books. One of the recent and most popular adaptations is the movie “Bridget Jones’ Diary.”

The story starts with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, a prosperous couple living in England in the 1800’s. The Bennet’s have five daughters, which is a problem because none of them may be the heir to Mr. Bennet’s household. With Jane (Megg Lobert) being the eldest, Mary (Stephanie Ruck) being the wisest, Catherine (Maggie Hogan) being the silliest, Lydia (Nhi Tang) being the youngest, and Elizabeth (Claire Wentzel) being the boldest, you can immediately tell that the sisters have distinct personalities. The story goes on to tell about the girl’s quests to become betrothed.

As a whole, the production ran smoothly. Although the pace of the show dragged in the first act, in the second act the cast sped up, and boosted their energy. Every cast member’s accent was maintained throughout the entire performance, but occasionally it was difficult to understand certain character’s lines.

Elizabeth (Claire Wentzel) was the protagonist of the story. Elizabeth’s “as a matter of fact” attitude made her seem intimidating for most men, but not for William Darcy (Sam Herbig), the wealthy bachelor who found Elizabeth charming and brilliant. Elizabeth was not impressed by Darcy’s attempts to woo her at first, but she is eventually won over by him. Wentzel was exceptionally sassy and her accent was crisp and precise. Although she resented Herbig at first, in the end the couple had great chemistry.

Mrs. Bennet (Lizzie Maassen) was a character that stood out to the audience. Her ridiculous antics and side comments left the audience in riotous laughter. Maassen maintained a high level of energy throughout the entire show. Another comedic character was Mr.Collins (Will Stupp) the eccentric heir to Mr. Bennet’s (Paul Fister) estate. Stupp’s mannerisms also enlightened the audience as he also attempted to impress Elizabeth.

The technical aspects of the show were simple. Scene changes were often distracting because things were being moved on and off the stage while characters were still delivering their lines. However, the lighting gave the set a nice splash of color, and the costumes were appropriate for the time period.

Overall, Nernix Hall’s production of Pride and Prejudice was an interesting adaptation of a classic story, and a night for the audience to remember.

by Kristen McPike of McCluer High School

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