On preparing for the role of Elizabeth…
I really wanted to have the chance to play Lizzy. So when I was cast in the role, I got really pumped, and then really nauseous. As much as I was thrilled to have the chance to bring this iconic character to life, I knew that a lot of expectations would accompany any portrayal of Elizabeth. I watched every version of the book I could get my hands on, I read reviews of different performances, I read critical responses to the character and book… All of these made me even more petrified. So I put them all down and read and re-read the novel. You should see my copy. I highlighted every description of Lizzy right down to each time she turns away to hide a smile. Then I put all of my research aside and played the scenes that Daniel had set down, bringing as much of my own heart as I could. I’m still petrified before every performance. But now I take that as a good sign.

On the character…
Elizabeth is smart, funny, thoughtful, caring to those she loves, vengeful to those who slight others, joyful, sensitive, hot-tempered, and quick to judge. I love her for her qualities and her many faults, but most of all for her ability to change and grow: she learns forgiveness and to listen more carefully to her own heart.

Hopeful takeaways…
What I take away most is that you have to work on yourself before you are ready for great love. Jane must learn to be vulnerable and show her love, and Bingley must learn the strength to make his own choices before they are ready for their great love. Darcy must learn how his words and actions affect others around him before he is ready for his great love. And Elizabeth must learn not to be so quick to judge, to forgive others, and to understand her own heart and mind before she can be happily married. True love makes you want to be a better person and that must be accompanied by the hard work it actually takes to become that person.

On the book….
The book is such a delight! I laugh and squeal like a girl when I read the book– which I do about once a year.

Favorite screen adaptation…
I am torn between the BBC miniseries and the 2005 Kiera Knightly version. The miniseries is a better representation of the novel and I love getting the chance to see more of the characters and relationships blossom. Yet the 2005 film captures the feeling and the romance of Lizzy and Darcy so well– it sweeps you right along with them.

On playwright Daniel Kramer…
Daniel is a great collaborator. My best memories of work-shopping this play are of his delight in the room when we would stumble on a new idea to make the show better. Then he would go home and come back with the most hilarious and beautiful scenes that got straight to the heart of the book and all of our experiences reading it. I have no idea how he did that, but we are all so fortunate that he is so good at what he does!

On director Eleni Papaleonardos…
Eleni creates a fun and safe place to play and make bold choices. And she laughs and squeals i. all the right spots. What I love most about being directed by Eleni is that she doesn’t allow me to become complacent–she continues to question my choices and pushes me to go farther, and I know that helps me to give a better performance. I’m sometimes a brat to her when she pushes me, but she’s a good sport and forgives me.

Favorite scene…
How to choose?! As soon as I choose one scene, I think of another that I love. Ask me about yourfavorite scene and I can tell you what I love about playing it. That would probably take up less room.

Things I love about Available Light Theatre…
The people I have the honor to work with.
The new and exciting plays I get to work on.
The atmosphere of fearless and playful collaboration.
The work ethic– easy is for other people.
The supporters– we have the best audiences in town.
That it is my home. I’m blessed.

On the Book…
I first read the novel Pride and Prejudice to prepare for the role of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins. It kind of felt like a homework assignment at the time and I made a plan to read one chapter a day, whether I wanted to or not. I read three chapters the first day (they’re short) and immediately became so invested, that I finished the book two days later. It’s one of my favorite books now, and I’m looking forward to reading it again soon.

Working with Daniel Kramer…
After reading the novel, I had a newfound appreciation for the play that Daniel had created. If you are well versed in the story and come to see this play, you will find almost nothing has been lost in this translation. He captures all of the humor, the deep personal relationships and the strict rules governing society at the time. He also manages to interject various external sources, such as Jane Austen’s personal letters, blog posts about the book, and even the merchandising (t-shirts, comic books, coffee mugs, etc.). All of these peripheral sources enhance the story being told, rather than distracting from it.

Favorite Scene…
It’s a tie between Darcy’s first proposal and when Darcy and Elizabeth meet at Pemberly. The proposal scene is a joy for an actor to play. It’s a confession of love, a vicious rejection and a heated argument where the two characters reveal all the things they have been thinking and feeling about the other. It is beautifully written dialogue, and the emotions underneath are sincere and powerful.

The second scene, where Darcy surprises Elizabeth and her relatives while they are visiting Pemberly is enjoyable because I get to shift gears with the character and reveal a different side to Darcy. I get to show how he’s grown over the months since seeing Elizabeth. I personally enjoy softening the sharp edges of the character I had been portraying earlier in the show.

On working with Available Light Theatre…
As a founding company member, I have worked with the entire cast, and our director, on multiple productions and each show is a new and exciting experience. We all know each other very well, but we don’t let that familiarity become complacency. We are constantly helping each other learn and grow as artists. One of the unique aspects of doing this show is that Eleni has incorporated our offstage friendships into the production. In the play, the actors sometimes break character and comment on the scene. We’ve made these diversions very playful and in terms of attitude, we’ve let a lot of our own history with each other seep in.

On preparing for the role…
Working on this show was a new adventure everyday. It is not often that an actress gets to play both the youngest and oldest character in the show! Our director, Eleni Papaleonardos, was a vast well of encouragement. I was terrified! But she was right there every step of the way cheering us on. And by us I mean all of 7 of us…. Caroline, Jane, Jane, Lady C, actress B, Lydia and Georgiana…. 🙂

Favorite character…
I don’t have a favorite character per se, but I do so love that Jane Austen’s voice is a part of our production. Jane’s letters to her family offer so much insight. We get to hear how she advises her family in matters of love and how fiercely protective she is of them. And her own sense of fun comes through clearly… I can hear the joy in her descriptions of dancing and imagine her laughing at her own descriptions of “everything most profligate and shocking in the way of dancing and sitting down together.”

On working with Available Light Theatre…
I cannot imagine anywhere else in the world I would rather work than with Available Light Theatre. These are my friends and my family. We created this amazing thing and are watching it grow up just like you watch your child grow and learn to take a few steps. And then it runs…. And perhaps learns to fly. I think AVLT is starting to soar… And I couldn’t be more proud.

Favorite scenes…
My favorite scenes are really more moments. Some are simply looks. Anytime Jane and Lizzy clasp hands, when Lady Catherine and Miss DeBourgh play backgammon, Bingley telling Lizzy exactly how many days its been since he saw Jane and, of course, the moments between Mr. And Mrs. Bennet- and Lizzy and Darcy in the final scene… Finally together. It’s all there for me every time. We are blessed with an incredibly talented group and they bring it every time.

On preparing:
I had read the book in a masters-level Victorian Literature course the year prior to being cast in our show. It turned out to be great timing! My professor for the course was Dr. Laura Vorachek, who has published widely on Jane Austen and had a great enthusiasm for the text. The class discussed Pride and Prejudice and each student selected an aspect of the book for further research. I looked into Austen’s use of gossip in the novel. I tend to agree with Ms. Austen that gossip can be quite fun.

On the character:
Bingley is my favorite character. If Austen’s characters are sometimes guilty of questioning the meaning and motivation behind every tip of the hat, then Bingley is the remedy. His character makes a great argument for living unguarded and living happily.

Takeaways:
People are silly, self-conscious, and often ridiculous. They are also beautiful and love is an eternally interesting subject.

On the book:
It’s one of those book where it’s helpful to keep a character sheet or a family tree handy…a lot happens quickly and all those English names: Lucas, Wickham, Fitzwilliam, Gardiner…I was constantly slamming the book down, crying, “Please, not another nephew.”

Favorite film version:
I found things to enjoy in every film version, though I haven’t found one with a Caroline Bingley that can stand up to Michelle Schroeder’s.

Daniel Kramer:
Daniel’s script is very clever. I love its very human portrayal of contemporaries interacting with a book…It admirably proves that it’s okay to not understand every nuance, it’s okay to miss things or have questions…you can still be a person who loves to experience great Literature.

Eleni Papaleonardos:
calm, giving, funny, my friend…her confidence in me that I could do this project meant everything to me

Favorite Scene:
Due to the staging in our version, we get to watch a number of scenes unfold. For a favorite, I cannot choose between the following two:
*Darcy and Elizabeth at the end of the play…Yes, I’m a sucker for the romantic comedy moment of “yes, we must really love each other.” Acacia and Ian are able to keep the scene sincere and genuinely romantic, yet there’s this great layer of surprise in both of them, as if they’re both utterly shocked that not only is it going to work out, but that it’s going to work out for them.

*Mrs. Bennett taking center stage while her daughter is receiving a marriage proposal is priceless. She needs to talk about the state of her dresses and naturally this seems like the perfect moment.