Lois Grandi delivers a super "Chicago" in the Pleasanton Firehouse Theater! Someting old, something new, Donald Hardy's adaptation of Austen's Pride and Prejudice is sure to delight everyone, even you! This week I have two reviews of shows that were terrific experiences for me, and I hope they will be for you too.

Roxie Hart (Joy Sherratt), Billy Flynn (David Judson) and Velma (Nicole Frydman) appear to have their act together, but the photo doesn't begin to tell the story, at least not the truth, - - the whole truth and nothing but the truth!!
Photo by Wally Allert



As if you didn’t have enough theaters to provide you with entertainment opportunities, this week I am introducing you to a relatively new, reasonably comfortable and beautiful theater facility and a new theater company in nearby Pleasanton with my review of Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre’s truly exhilarating production of Kander, Fosse and Ebb’s brazenly upbeat and delightfully funny, “Chicago”.


For all of you Lois Grandi fans, you now have something to cheer about. Lois Grandi is back, back in her best element, musical theater, and once again demonstrating her highly acclaimed directing skills as she directs this stellar production. After Lois Grandi closed down her Walnut Creek 49 seat “pocket” theater on Locust Street, Playhouse West, I have had many enquires as to what Lois would be doing next, and now the wraps are off and I can tell you.



The city of “Chicago” in the 1920’s was considered one of the nation’s most notorious crime gang syndicate centers, with the likes of celebrity murderers Al Capone, Frank “Tight Lips” Gusenberg, Hymie Weiss, Dan O’Banion, George “Bugs” Moran and many others engaged in all out war for mob control of liquor, drugs, loan sharking and prostitution. The 20’s came to a close with the violent St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. It was a terribly corrupt and violent time in American history, the fodder for many movies, books, stories, plays and even musicals. As we look back now, we can inject humor into our memories of that sordid time in our history, a time when political and police corruption and gangland control of society was rampant.

This musical is a satire focusing on the concept of the “celebrity criminal” and the corruption rampant in the political and criminal justice system of the day. “Chicago” is based on a 1926 play of the same name, written by Chicago Tribune reporter Maurine Watkins about actual criminals and events of that time period, characters she knew and reported on. If you do a Google search, the Wikipedia reference to the musical reveals a detailed and very interesting story behind the story on how the original play finally evolved through two different movie versions and into a musical through the hands of famed dancer Gwen Verdon and her husband Bob Fosse. Chicago became the fifth longest running musical in Broadway history with more than 5,900 performances.


The story has two principal criminal characters, one woman by the name of Roxie Hart (played by Joy Sherratt) and Velma (Nicole Frydman). Both women are in jail, accused of murder. The story chronicles their relationship with celebrity attorney, Billy Flynn (David Judson) , the jail matron, Mama “I can get you anything” Morton (Karon Strempke), and Amos (Sebastian Romeo), Roxie’s “milk toast” adoring and subservient husband. A young man by the name of Robert Coverdell, plays the Mary Sunshine, “celebrity reporter”, again spoofing a character in real life, the original charismatic reporter Maurine Watkins. Cloverdale is outrageously funny and excellent in his portrayal. Nicole Frydman (Velma) has a powerful, beautiful voice, is a superb dancer, and one heck of an actress. While Joy Sherratt is superb in her role as Roxie, equally attractive and talented, it is Frydman who really steals the show. Karol Strempke is a powerhouse as the prison matron and David Judson, the attorney, is absolutely brilliant, professional in every respect as the flamboyant, headline seeking attorney. The courtroom marionette/ ventriloquist scene between Billy Flynn and Roxie Hart is brilliant!

Songs and music are so clever and melodious that you will find them rumbling around in your head for days after seeing the show. With lyrics such as “he had it coming - -“ from the Cell Block Tango, and “whatever happened to class” from “Class”, a duet by Velma and Roxie are bringing back effervescent memories to me now. Granted, had the theater had the kind of lighting of a major theater facility, where more spot lighting and separations were possible, it could have been even more powerful. In addition, a major part of the stage is a mass mountain of stairs and risers, a performance pyramid that had to make performing both difficult and precarious. It is really quite amazing what the company was able to do with the “community theater level stage” they had to work with. I loved this show and the audience seemed much of the same mind.


The cast selected for this musical is certainly on a professional level (Actor’s Equity Assn.) and/or long time experienced actors and dancers. Lois Grandi is known for her demand for acting perfection and attention to detail and the results definitely pay off in what has to be one of the best productions of this musical my wife and I have seen locally. Wow! Don’t miss this one!


“Chicago” will continue with Thursday and Saturday evening performances at 8 p.m., but the Friday shows on August 26th and September 2nd, will not perform until late in the evening at 9 p.m., for the “after-dinner crowd”, due to the playhouse facilities pre-commitment on those dates to another program. Evening performances on Sundays are at 7:30 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m., on August 28th and September 4th. Tickets range in price between $18 and $33 each and may be purchased online at http://www.firehousearts.org/ or by phone (925) 931-4848, or in person at the Firehouse box office, located in the theater which is situated at 4444 Railroad Avenue (at the corner of Division Street) in downtown Pleasanton. There is plenty of free city provided parking adjacent to the theater. This show closes on September 4th.
The Willows Theatre is in the second week of their production of “The Fantasticks”, another historically popular musical that ran for 42 years and a total of 17,162 performances off-Broadway. This is a musical that I personally never ever cared for, not until I saw this production in the Willows Main Stage Theater in Concord.



The New Willows Mainstage Theater brings back "The Fantasticks", the first musical production this theater ever produced, many years ago, when it was origianlly known as City Arts Theater.



The Fantasticks is an allegorical story of two manipulative neighbors, fathers who have become close friends who fantasize that the world would be perfect if only their two children, a son and daughter, were to fall in love, marry and meld their families together, forever. The fathers have learned that whatever you tell your children not to do, is what they always seem to want to do most. Consequentially, they devise a plan where they will appear to become feuding neighbors, so much so that they will build a fence between their properties to separate themselves and their children, making communication more difficult between all parties. Their attempt to keep their children apart of course appears to backfire but it actually facilitates their plan to get their children together, as their alienated children find ways to communicate and relate secretly. The young couple do fall in love but now the fathers have the problem of how do they reconcile our “make-believe differences” in such a fashion that they can become “friends” again in order to support the children’s plans to wed. A plan is conceived by which the fathers hire a traveling troupe of actors to stage a mock abduction, so that the son, Matt (Zach Piser), can heroically save Luisa (Ginny Wehrmeister), thereby bringing the feuding fathers back together.


The Boy’s Father/ Hucklebee (Stu Klitsner) and the Girl’s Father/Bellomy (Tom Farris), are very well known to local audiences, drawing positive reviews for many years. The mock abduction orchestrator, known as the Narrator and El Gallo, is played to perfection by the ruby throated Ryan Drummond. Drummond is a popular actor and singer appearing in many productions by the Willows Theater. The actors, identified as The Old Actor and The Man Who Dies are played by father and son acting team, Pat and Sam Craig. Yes, this is the same Pat Craig that we have known and loved and read as the theater reviewer for the Contra Costa Times for many years. Ginny Wehrmeister is a beautiful woman with a lovely voice and an amazing vibrancy mixed with superb talent. I always look forward to her performances. This is the first time I have had the pleasure of getting to know Zach Piser, another very talented young actor. I look forward to getting to know him better as an actor, as well. The Mute who plays many supportive roles (including the “Wall”) is performed well by Meryn Macdougall.


The story takes many allegorical twists and turns and very nearly turns disastrous, with bruised egos, and young people taking several wrong turns before its happy conclusion. It is a parable type story about people messing around with fate and human nature, somewhat humorous, with an unexciting storyline, made very entertaining in this production and even palatable by some truly excellent acting and beautiful voices. There are a number of songs with good messages, but only one that I can ever remember, only one that stays with me and you probably will remember it when I mention its absolutely apropos title, “Try to Remember”!

The Fantasticks plays Wednesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., with other performances Fridays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., with matinee performances on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and o The Fantasticks Sundays at 3 p.m., closing on September 4th. Tickets range in price between $22 and $32. With discounts for seniors (65+) and students (6-18) and can be obtained by calling 798-1300 or by contacting the Willows Theater on line at http://www.willowstheatre.com/ . This production is in their main stage theater located in the Willows Shopping Center (next door to REI Sporting goods) at 1975 Diamond Boulevard Avenue in Concord.

Something old, something new. This week I have two reviews of shows that were terrific experiences for me, and I hope they will be for you too. The marvelous little Butterfield 8 Theater in Concord has taken a big leap of faith with an entirely new adaptation of a very famous book (Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice), by a local author (Donald L. Hardy). into a two part play that does require two completely separate shows to present the full richness and beauty crafted by Jane Austen in her world renowned work.

Writer and story adaptor Donald L. Hardy, struggled for nearly a year trying to abbreviate and reduce the eloquence and complexity of the story encapsulated in Pride and Prejudice down into a manageable two hour format. The encapsulated version just did not work, so he went back to a process of converting this remarkable book into a theatrical format, but this time, using both first person and third person narration lifted directly from Austen’s own masterful work. As David Hardy reveals, he did not want to “create a one night romp through the most basic plotlines – (which was ) tempting to do, since so many people already knew the story”. The adaptation is a melded work of translational genius. The final play is carried out in two separate performances, part I and part II. It is intriguing, engaging and thought-provoking, and apparently from the post-performance discussions between audience members who remained for a rather lengthy time on opening night, the final result was truly appreciated.

Austin wrote romantic novels with acute realism, articulate richness, understated simplicity, endearing qualities, and most unique of all, she wrote in the “Third Person format”. In 1813 the world became enamored with this story of romance among the landed gentry. “Pride and Prejudice” is so rich in historical perspective, so representative of the social norms of the times, that to cut away any of her rich and rewarding writing would be a travesty. Its principal characters are so diverse in personality, for many, it was considered remarkable that they could ever engage in meaningful relationships.

The story revolves around the unique family situation of the Bennet family, wherein the family lives on an estate which can only be passed in title to a male heir. Since the Bennett family consists of a husband and wife and five daughters, they stand in the precarious position of losing the property should the head of the household, Mr. Bennet (Alan Cameron), become deceased. This creates great anxiety for Mrs. Bennet (Maureen-Theresa Williams) who is eagerly seeking any opportunity to find appropriate husbands for her daughters.

When a very wealthy young gentleman, Mr. Bingley (Alexander Murphy), acquires the neighboring property called Netherfield, and arrives with his sisters and a good friend, Mr. Darcy (Edwin Peabody) in tow, they become acquainted with the Bennet family through a community dance assemblage. Mr. Bingley is well received by everyone and he becomes enamored with the oldest Bennet daughter, Jane (Amy Liebert). Mr. Darcy on the other hand, shows contempt and disdain for the locals and rejects the Bennet family and all those of similar social ilk. The next oldest daughter, Elizabeth (Becky Potter), is not kindly disposed to Mr. Darcy’s rejection of her family, and demonstrates cunning wit and resolve in meeting each sarcastic remark by Mr. Darcy with equally biting retorts, setting off what would appear, at first, to be the center of the conflict in this novel. But no, as Mr. Bingley and Miss Jane Bennet become closer, there are many more interwoven stories of conflict that arise between these families, in laws, out laws and acquaintances. Miss Caroline Bingley, who is Mr. Bingley’s sister, and a very snobbish girl, becomes increasingly spiteful toward the Bennet family as she discovers that Mr. Darcy (the wealthy gentlemen she has cast her eyes upon) is becoming more and more intrigued with the uncommonly outspoken and strong spirited Elizabeth Bennet.

Within this same time frame, Mr. Bennet’s unmarried cousin, Mr. Collins (David Hardie), arrives at the Bennet estate (Longbourn). Under the current title laws, Mr. Collins would be the logical nearest male who would inherit the Bennet estate due to their lack of sons. He is employed by a wealthy patron as the local parish rector. His appointment to this position has also given rise to his self importance and ego-centered behavior. He expresses the desire to marry one of the Bennet daughters, to keep the estate in the family by virtue of marriage. He is rejected by the two older daughters he prefers, Jane and Elizabeth, as Jane has great hopes that Mr. Bingley will eventually ask for her hand, and Miss Elizabeth has cast her eyes on a very handsome, personable and gregarious military officer, a Mr. George Wickham (Carter Chastain). The intrigues continue to multiply as lies, jealousies, conflicts and misunderstandings arise and prevail.
The story never becomes boring or weighty and it moves along surprisingly well under the expert and excellent guidance and direction of John Butterfield. There are 16 actors employed in this stellar endeavor, most of whom I do not have space to appropriately recognize in this article. All of the acting is superb, with very few missed lines or ques. The remainder of the cast not previously mentioned include: Ali Arman, Jake Breckinridge, Jessamy Collier, Terry Downward, Deborah Doyle, Gary Mutz, Molly Kaye Taylor, and the delightful, squealing younger Bennet daughter, Lydia, played by Annie Potter.

Scenic design, lighting design and choreography, all by John Butterfield, is simple but effective, designed to allow this very complicated play to move forward without time consuming set or scenery changes. The costumes created and orchestrated by Liz Martin and her co-costume creators at the Pink Depford Dressing Studio in Martinez, are all expertly conceived and executed, to the great enhancement of this time relevant script. Lynda Wenzelberger has lent her expertise to the excellent wig creations.

While I knew before we attended the show that it was a play to be produced in two parts, I also had other local show openings the following weekend that I felt were important to see as soon as they opened. I had thought that I would come back to see “Part II” later in the run, but I was informed by my wife and daughter who attended with me, that they didn’t care what shows I was going to see next weekend, but they were coming back to see part II next weekend, with or without me! Well, I now will be returning next Friday to see “Pride and Prejudice”.

These performances are very reasonably priced community theater productions at $12 for seniors and students, $18 for adults and $10 for TBA (members of Theater Bay Area) and Actors Equity members. “Pride and Prejudice” continues Thursday (8/18), Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. and Sunday afternoon performances at 3 p.m., now through August 26th. For those of you who want to see the entire production in one day, there will be one consolidated Saturday afternoon performance beginning at 2 pm, to be followed in the evening with the second installment at 8 p.m., allowing time for a comfortable dinner at one of the nearby Santos Park dining establishments and perhaps even browsing other local business establishments. The Butterfield 8 Theater Company uses the Cue Productions Live performance space at 1835 Colfax Street in Concord, only one and a half blocks East of Todos Santos square in downtown Concord. Tickets may be selected and purchased by calling Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 838-3006 or by purchasing tickets at the door. You can also gather more information by going online to http://www.b8company.com and click on “Events” for more information about the company and the show. This is a very informal theater with casual seating in a cabaret type of venue. I always bring an extra tush cushion for my bony derriere. On-street parking can be tight on Friday and Saturday nights due to a number of restaurants and clubs nearby, so come a little early. Seating is open, so come first and be first seated!


My Fair Lady is a rousing success at the Woodminster Amphitheater in the Oakland Hills!

Lerner and Lowe’s “My Fair Lady” opened this past weekend and drew a huge crowd to the Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park in the Oakland Hills, right above the LDS “Mormon” Temple, on Joaquin Miler Road. This perennial favorite is always popular with community theaters and audiences alike. The upbeat, romantic, fun-filled music and the powerful message about male chauvinism that plagued Europe from the Victorian age through 1912 when the original play was written by its author, George Bernard Shaw, is just plain hard to resist.

Shaw says in his preface to the play, “ - - - The English have no respect for their language, and will not teach their children to speak it. They spell it so abominably that no man can teach himself what it sounds like. It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him. German and Spanish are accessible to foreigners: English is not accessible even to Englishmen. The reformer England needs today is an energetic phonetic enthusiast: that is why I have made such a one, the hero of a popular play.”

The original play was written in large part due to Shaw’s infatuation with the beautiful British actress, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, and his frustration with her exaggerations and affectations layered on over her natural speech and diction, an artificial elitism that he considered a detriment to her true potential as an actress. In other words, she was adding a phony suburban social exaggeration meant to make her sound like many in high society were desirous to sound.

This Woodminster “My Fair Lady” production is a delightfully witty musical adaptation of the original story about Professor Henry Higgins (played by Robert Moorhead), who overhears a Cockney flower girl, a Miss Eliza Doolittle (Susan Himes Powers, soliciting funds for her flowers from the London elite. Her cockney drawl is so unique, whining and offensive to the ear, at least to Higgins ( a professor of language and phonetics), that he begins taking notes on her regionalized vernacular. In the process he encounters Colonel Pickering (Gene Brundage), another speech expert, to whom he boasts that he (Higgins) is so knowledgeable and disciplined in his practice, that with 6 months of hard work and instruction, he could take this “catawallering” flower girl and transform her from an unrefined street person into a proper speaking and acting well bred lady. Further, he makes a bet with Pickering, that at the end of this instructional time, he could even go so far as to take her to a Grand Embassy Ball and fool everyone in attendance into thinking that she really is a well bred, genteel lady!

To make a long story short, he succeeds. Eliza’s painful and arduous education under the tyrannical Higgins works and she is successful in the “big test” at the ball, after all.

This is an exceptionally well done production in almost all aspects. The cast selection is very good especially for Community Theater, with leads who have professional credentials as Equity Association Actors. In fact, it is quite unusual where a community theater can afford to engage 8 Equity Actors for one show! The choreography (by Peggy Nixon) and the musical direction (by Brandon Adams) also work very well. This is a very long play but the company moves it along quite well. Director Joel Schlader pulled together many divergent elements for a very enjoyable evening of entertainment. This is the company’s 45th year and they are pulling out all stops for your enjoyment.

I highly recommend the drive down highway 13 to Joaquin Miller Park, above the Mormon Temple, at 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, in the Oakland Hills to take in “My Fair Lady”. Theatre under the stars can be a bit chilly, even this late in August, so dress in layers and bring a tush cushion if you do not have ample cushioning of your own. This is a great place to come early, bring a picnic basket and eat dinner in the park before the theatre performs in the evening. You can also purchase food in theater compound and I highly recommend the hotdog vender (a fairly recent addition, separate from the refreshment stand) whose polish dogs are outstanding. All shows begin at 8 p.m., Thursday, Friday, Saturday and closing this coming Sunday (August 14th). Ticket prices range between $26 and $42 each, with a $2 discount for children and seniors. Call (510) 531-9597 or go online to Ticketweb.com or contact www.woodminster.com for additional information or ordering tickets.



Elizabeth Bennett (Becky Potter) discloses some disturbing information to Mr. Darcey (Edwin Peabody) in Butterfield 8's "Pride and Prejudice" Photo by: Judy Potter



How many times have I reviewed and praised the many colorful and thought-provoking theatrical works of famed Irishman and author, George Bernard Shaw? Over the past 30 years, I cannot begin to remember all of his plays I have had the good fortune to bear witness to. This week I was fortunate to attend the outstanding California Shakespeare Theater’s production of “Candida”, directed by Cal Shakes’ innovative directing visionary, Jonathan Moscone.

Shaw’s parents were not wealthy people. He was a very bright young man, attended the Methodist Wesley College for a short time and as a result of his voracious reading, he became most angered by what he saw as the exploitation of the working class. He gravitated to a very popular social group at the time, known as the Fabian Society, a group dedicated to socialism through a democratic transition, rather than the revolutionary template followed by the communist party. Shaw went on to become an accomplished orator with an incredible talent for writing drama with humor. Most of his plays focus on social mores, class privilege and women’s rights at the time of their writing. It was these controversial messages that drove to the heart of his literary work.

“Candida” is set entirely within the London residential rectory office of the right Reverend James Mavor Morell (Anthony Fusco), a firebrand Christian Socialist clergyman. Eugene Marchbanks (Nick Gabriel) is a romantic young poet (18 years of age) who chooses to see the world through his own somewhat colored, distorted and unrealistic lenses. He is a guest in the Morell home. Candida (Julie Eccles), Morell’s wife, is in reality, the reverend’s rudder and stabilizer, in large part responsible (behind the scenes) for her husband’s strength, encouragement and success at the pulpit and in his public speaking. The poet Marchbanks is an idealistic, immature (almost childlike), cowardly, and at the same time, flamboyant and painfully honest. He is the product of a very wealthy family of many children, with many servants. He has been allowed by his family to steer his own ship of fate upon the rocky shoals of reality, unable to earn a respectable living, undisciplined as a student, resorting to a life depending on others who feel sorry for him. While he is a somewhat talented artist, it is his romantic poetry that motivates and propels him into the arms of “mothering” types who take pity and rescue him.

Marchbanks believes that he is madly in love with the very beautiful Candida (Julie Eccles) (15 years his senior) and wants to rescue her from what he perceives is a dull, unfulfilling life as the wife of a “windbag” minister husband. Marchbanks perceives Candida as divine, an angel incarnate, above any and all menial household chores and deserving of being lavished with love and waited on constantly. He believes his love for Candida transcends the bounds of mere mortality, and that she in turn loves him and would chose Marchbanks over her husband, if given the opportunity to make that choice. During a somewhat bizarre evening of vacillating rhetorical challenges, Marchbanks and the minister, Morell, spar and spat roundabout and nearly come to blows as they debate the challenges laid down by the poet as to Candida’s love and loyalty to her husband.

In the midst of this madness, Candida’s entrepreneurial capitalistic and somewhat estranged father, Mr. Burgess (Jarion Monroe), unexpectedly shows up at the Morell rectory to engage his son-in-law in the renewal of an old dispute, pretending an attempt at reconciliation, but admittedly confessing otherwise, as the evening wears on. This old controversy further raises the level of anxiety and frustration already poisoning the heavy household atmosphere.
Two other delightful support characters, the reverend’s secretary and stenographer, Miss Proserpine Garnett (Alexandra Henrikson), and another associate minister, Reverand Lexy Mill (normally played by Nicholas Pelczar but played this evening by the very capable Liam Vincent), bring a wonderful sense of comic relief and even more romantic conflict pulling into the fabric of this very unique comedy!

When Candida finally gets the opportunity to respond to the unchallenged assumptions and accusations, she will air her feelings, clear the air and make a resolute choice. What will the lady decide? You will have to see the play to find out the very clever and thought provoking ending. This production is outrageously funny and the acting by all is simply superb.
The set designed by Annie Smart is really quite beautiful, functional and elegantly “smart”. The Lighting Design by York Kennedy works exceedingly well and the costumes designed by Anna Oliver could not have been more apropos, more perfect. Once again, California Shakespeare Theater in the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater in Orinda has mounted and delivered a true work of art, a labor of love by all concerned.

“Candida” continues Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30 pm, with Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinees on Saturday at 3 p.m., and Sunday performances at 4 p.m., now through September 4th. Tickets vary in price depending on dates and seating location, they range between $35 and $66 with discounts available for seniors, students, persons age 30 and under by going on line at http://www.calshakes.org/ or by visiting the box office at 701 Heinz Avenue in Berkeley, CA. You may call (510) 548-9666 for more information. The Bruins Amphitheater is located at 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way (formerly 100 Gateway Blvd.) just off highway 23 at the California Shakespeare Theater Way/Wilder Road, one mile east of the Caldecott Tunnel. There is a complementary shuttle from the Orinda Bart Station beginning 90 minutes prior to opening curtain and there is complementary parking on the premises. The grounds open two hours before show time.

Last week, I am sure you remember my rave review of Pride and Prejudice in the Butterfield 8 Theatre in Concord. Well, as promised, my wife, daughter and I returned for part two, the final chapter in this brilliant adaptation of Jane Austen’s widely acclaimed romantic novel, re-written as an entirely new play! This is a stunning production, especially from a community level theater!

In order to bring my readers up to date, who did not read last week’s column, let me begin by telling you about local author and adaptor Donald L. Hardy. He expended great effort to abbreviate and reduce the eloquence and complexity of the original story of Pride and Prejudice down to a manageable two hour common stage production format, but the process just did not work. Donald Hardy preferred the author’s original storytelling format to the modern script writers’ process of transferring text into verbal context that never actually existed previously (putting their own words in her mouth). He decided to go back to her original writings. Hardy began a process of converting this remarkable book into a unique play format, by cleverly using both first person and third person narration, for the most part, lifted directly from Austen’s own masterful work. As David Hardy reveals, he did not want to “create a one night romp through the most basic plotlines” – which was very tempting to do, since so many people already knew the story. This new adaptation is a melded work of translational genius. The complete play is carried out in two separate performances, part I and part II. Last week I covered the story development as it involved the complex story surrounding the Bennet Family, the Bingley Family and their relationships to each other, all taking place in the English countryside.

In the first part of this two part play, the older of the Bennet daughters, Jane (Amy Liebert), became enamored with a young, wealthy gentleman, who had recently leased an adjoining estate, a Mr. Bingley (Alexander Murphey). Mr. Bingley likewise enjoyed the company of Miss Bennet. Unfortunately, while both families are landed gentry, there is a rather large class chasm between the two families, a social barrier which leads to Bingley’s friends and family members doing everything in their power to break up the budding romance between the couple.

One of Bingley’s closest friends, another very wealthy young gentleman by the name of Mr. Darcey (Edwin Peabody), has likewise become acquainted with the Bennet family and their five daughters. Darcy’s opinion of the Bennet family is decidedly negative and is against his friend Mr. Bingley, becoming involved with the Bennet family because of the obvious class, financial and social distinctions between the two families. He also is put off by the overt unrestrained actions of Mrs. Bennet (Maureen-Theresa Williams), who is desperately and obviously seeking her daughters’ future securities through marriages to wealthy families.

It is through Darcey’s first encounters with the Bennet family that he meets Elizabeth Bennet (Beckey Potter), a decidedly independent and headstrong younger sister of Jane Bennet. Even though he remains distant but courteous to the Bennet family, he has little use for them and basically comes off as far above them, almost to the point of being rude.
It is not until the second half of the play, part two, that we discover that Darcy is enamored with Elizabeth. Something about the very lovely, but “socially inferior” Elizabeth Bennet sticks with him and to his great dismay, he finds himself falling in love with her. At the same time, Elizabeth cannot stand the arrogant Mr. Darcy, primarily for what she perceives as his financial mistreatment of a cousin, George Wickham (Carter Chastain), and Darcy’s meddling in her sister’s promising love affair with Mr. Bigley. Then, quite unexpectedly, Darcy arrives and asks to see Elizabeth. After a few nervous pleasantries, Darcy approaches her and proclaims, “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you!” The astonished Elizabeth chokes back her emotions, but remains sensitive to the tenderness and warmth with which he has delivered his heart-felt admission. She strives to find a civil manner in which to explain that she certainly had no similar feelings for him and why she could not, would not, acquiesce to his proposal of marriage. Finally, she sums up her feelings by saying, “You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it!” She continued to chide him for his “arrogance, conceit, selfish disdain for the feelings of others, and elaborating further in telling him that she felt that “ you were the last man in the world to whom I could ever be prevailed to marry.” The now astonished Darcy could never imagine that any woman would reject a man of his position, especially in such a strong and convincing manner. He abruptly but cordially leaves the premises immediately.

The play engages in other situations, including an intrigue between Elizabeth’s younger sister, Lydia (Annie Potter) and the controversial militiaman, George Wickham. There is an elopement by the pair which could even cause far greater disdain for the Bennet family from the community as a whole. The complexities continue to multiply as lies, jealousies, conflicts and misunderstandings arise and prevail. The story eventually comes full circle, back to focus once again on the love interest by Mr. Darcy for Elizabeth Bennet.

The story never becomes boring or weighty and it moves along surprisingly well under the expert and excellent guidance and direction of John Butterfield. There are 16 actors employed in this stellar endeavor, most of whom I do not have space to appropriately recognize in this article. All of the acting is superb, with very few missed lines or cues.

These performances are very reasonably priced community theater productions at $12 for seniors and students, $18 for adults and $10 for TBA (members of Theater Bay Area) and Actors Equity members. “Pride and Prejudice” continues Thursday (8/18), Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. and Sunday afternoon performances at 3 p.m., now through August 26th. For those of you who want to see the entire production in one day, On Saturday, August 27, there will be one consolidated Saturday afternoon performance beginning at 2 pm, to be followed in the evening with the second installment at 8 p.m. The Butterfield 8 Theater Company uses the Cue Productions Live performance space at 1835 Colfax Street in Concord, only one and a half blocks East of Todos Santos square in downtown Concord. Tickets may be selected and purchased by calling Brown Paper Tickets at (800) 838-3006 or by purchasing tickets at the door. You can also gather more information by going online to http://www.b8company.com/ and click on “Events” for more information about the company and the show. This is a very informal theater with casual seating in a cabaret type of venue. I always bring an extra tush cushion for my bony derriere. On-street parking can be tight on Friday and Saturday nights due to a number of restaurants and clubs nearby, so come a little early. Seating is open, so come first and be first seated!