Category: Taproot Theatre

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Georgiana & Kitty play at Taproot Theatre. Final chapter in Lauren Gunderson’s and Margot Melcon’s “Christmas at Pemberley” Pride and Prejudice trilogy. Filled with the hallmark themes of Jane Austen’s stories. Relatable to online dating.

Synopsis from the Theatre: Georgiana Darcy is an accomplished pianist but wary of romance. Kitty Bennet is a bright-eyed optimist and a perfect best friend. These two younger sisters are ready for their own adventures in life and love, starting with the arrival of an admirer and secret correspondent. Meddlesome families and outmoded expectations won’t stop these determined friends from forging their own way in a holiday tale filled with music, ambition, sisterhood, and forgiveness. The third and final play in the trilogy by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon.

Attended Performance Date: Opening Night 11/24/23 – See my previous preview posts here.

Type: Play

World Premiere: No

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings/Locations: (Very?) Few

Static (Stationary) Set?: Yes

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: Pride and Prejudice is required reading (or “watching” if you prefer a movie/play) to understand and appreciate this play. Don’t worry if you didn’t see the previous two chapters in the “Christmas at Pemberley” trilogy. I saw the 2nd and 3rd chapters sequentially without seeing the 1st chapter and I still enjoyed the shows. But if you’re like me and you’re not an ardent Pride and Prejudice aficionado, I highly recommend reviewing the helpful family tree in the program on page A-3.

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Equity Actors: 2

Total Number of Actors: 9

Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium Speed

Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.5 hours

Was there an intermission? Yes

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes

Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? No, but it was good. Since I saw the 2nd and 3rd chapters of this trilogy, I’m now curious to see the 1st chapter.

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above

• Favorite Line: When Mr. Darcy said, “There’s always a letter” which was a wink to the audience on how Jane Austen’s conflicts often start with a letter.
• Georgiana Casting: As someone regularly featured in Seattle’s theatre music scene, Clair Marx was perfectly cast as the virtuoso Georgiana Darcy.
• Modern Dating: Whether or not it was the playwrights’ intention, I loved how the script evoked feelings experienced in online dating. The Jane Austen-esqe letters remind me of how chatting on the dating apps builds so much anticipation/expectation potentially leading up an endearingly awkward meeting in-person (or a horrible catfish!). There was one such meeting in the play that was reminiscent of an old HappySlip sketch (see 1:50 to 2:50).
• Reprised Roles: Many key characters in this production were previously cast in Taproot Theatre’s past “Christmas at Pemberley” productions. For example, in the 1st and 3rd chapter, Shanna Allman played Mary Bennet and Melanie Hampton portrayed Jane Bingley. Annie Yim played Elizabeth Darcy (nee Bennet) in the 2nd and 3rd chapter. Throughout the entire trilogy, Kelley Karcher portrayed the narcissistic Lydia Wickam while Brian Pucheu played the cold Mr. Darcy. This role reprisal promoted a feeling of continuity and familiarity between productions.

Rant(s)

• Keyboard: As I mentioned in Village Theatre’s current Beautiful production, there’s a Seattle live theatre problem with cheap-sounding on-stage electric keyboards. While I’m always happy to hear Claire Marx performing live music, I wish she could play a real piano on-stage in this production. An upright piano would have fit the bill perfectly for the small theatre space.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

• Clucking: The cacophony of the sisters talking all at once reminded me of a MadTV comedy sketch parodying The View.

Theatre Company: Taproot Theatre

Venue: Jewell Mainstage at Taproot Theatre

Venue Physical Address: 204 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103

Price: Medium

Tickets: https://taproottheatre.org/shows/2023/georgiana-kitty-christmas-at-pemberley/

Ticket Affordability Options: TodayTix

Dates: November 22 to December 30, 2023

Seating: Assigned Seating

Parking: Paid lot or usually-free street parking. I always find free street parking on Greenwood Ave just South of the theatre.

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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:

• https://taproottheatre.org/shows/2023/georgiana-kitty-christmas-at-pemberley/
• Program

Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures under video and in video by Robert Wade Photography.

Cast and Production Team: See after pictures and/or video below

@showsiveseen "Georgiana & Kitty" #play at @TaprootTheatre starring Claire Marx & @Ays Garcia. Directed by Karen Lund. Final chapter of Lauren Gunderson's and Margot Melcon's "#Christmas at #Pemberley" #JaneAusten trilogy. Filled with the #hallmark themes of #PrideAndPrejudice. Relatable to online dating. Photos: Robert Wade. Review: showsiveseen.com/7519 #theatre #showsiveseen #xmas ♬ Please Santa Please – Pentatonix

ROLE	NAME
Kitty Bennet	Ays Garcia*
Elizabeth Darcy	Annie Yim
Fitzwilliam Darcy	Brian Pucheu
Henry Grey	William Eames
Georgiana Darcy	Claire Marx
Jane Bingley	Melame Hampton
Mary Bennet	Shanna Allman
Lydia Wickham	Kelly Karcher*
Thomas O’Brien	Jeremy Steckler
—	—
Georgiana, Lydia, & Jane U/S	Rebecca Gelzer
Darcy & Thomas U/S	Elijah Spreier
Kitty, Lizzy, & Mary U/S	Ariel Rose
Darcy & Henry U/S	David Breyman
—	—
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director	Karen Lund**
Assistant Director	Bretteney Beverly
Playwrights	Lauren Gunderson, Margot Melcon
Original Compositions	Michael Nutting
Associate Artistic Director	Bretteney Beverly
Co-Scenic Designer	Amanda Sweger
Sound & Co-Scenic Designer	Mark Lund
Costume Designer	Pete Rush
Lighting Designer	Tim Wratten
Stage Manager	Nik Nolen*
Dialect Coach	Dimitri Woods
Property Master	Andrea Spraycar
Dramaturg Team	Kelly Flynt, Sonja Lowe, Dami Munroe
Assistant Stage Manager	Nicola Krause
Backstage Crew Swing	Ashley Burns
Casting Director	Bretteney Beverly
Casting Consultant	Jes Spencer
Dresser	Luna McMeen, Brooke Thomas
Draper	Martha Mitchell
Stitcher	Veronica Dimoff, Scian Hayes, Lucy Cavener
Wig Designer	Joyce Degenfelder
Wig Specialist	Jenn Hill
Master Electrician	Aiyana Stephens
Scenic Carpenter	Tim Samland ^
Light Board Operator	Matthew Ray
Sound Board Operator	Andi Villegas
Electricians	Clint Bull, Morgan Poirer, Matthew Ray, Anna Van Vleet, Jacob Viramontes
Scenic Strike/Load-in	Elke Johnson ^, Kimmy Mar ^, M. Stephanie Watson^