University Theatre will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice with a stage adaptation by Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan directed by George Contini, a faculty member in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Performances will be Nov. 7, 8 and 13-16 at 8 p.m. with matinees Nov. 10 and 17 at 2:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre.
Tickets for the play are $16 for the general public and $12 for students. They can be purchased at http://www.drama.uga.edu/box-office, by phone at 706-542-4400, in person at the Performing Arts Center or Tate Student Center box offices or at the door before the show.
Contini, an associate professor in the theatre and film studies department, describes the play as a Regency Classic “rom-com” and noted that Austen originally wanted to title the novel First Impressions.
“I’ve always felt that was the stronger title,” he said. “It’s one way this story still resonates with modern audiences. Vanity, hypocrisy, pride and prejudice all continue to play out in our lives as technology offers even more ways for us to wear masks in our interpersonal relationships and social settings.”
Contini sees another modern parallel in the story’s focus on the characters’ desire to marry the person they love.
“It’s an especially relevant theme in the light of recent court decisions broadening the ranks of those allowed access to the institution of marriage,” he said. “The struggle to balance love and practical matters in marriage also still resonates. And putting on airs to impress others is only amplified in our age of social media.”