‘Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley’ @ Stolen Shakespeare Guild
Marisa Duran, Katherine Collins as Georgiana & Kitty
—Jan Farrington
‘Tis a pity playwrights Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon have run out of Bennet sisters (and even sisters-in-law). The final play of their Jane-Austen-inspired Christmas series is the best one of all, I think—and Stolen Shakespeare Guild has a particularly wonderful cast doing the honors for Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley.
Unless Gunderson & Melcon decide to write a prequel about Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s courtship days—and really, I’d lay down hard cash to see that story!—this is it for Austenites in the habit of coming to the Fort Worth Community Arts Center for their dose of Jane.
But mostly, it’s because the old place is closing.
The City of Fort Worth, bless their hearts, doesn’t seem to have a definite plan for the old Modern Art Museum building, site of Fringe Festivals, SSG plays, various performing arts groups at Scott Theatre (including Fort Worth’s Jubilee, doing Auntie Explains Christmas as their last show in the venue), wedding receptions, dance recitals, Tommy Tune tap shows, and countless interesting (and free) exhibitions by NTX visual artists, etc. But the city doesn’t want to run the Commnity Arts Center any more…so everybody’s out by the New Year.
But I digress. SSG’s big finale is a treat—and the Guild, founded and helmed by Jason and Lauren Morgan, is raising funds for a new home (in the Fort, we hope).
At Mr. Darcy’s estate Pemberley, things are buzzing—and he sends out the call to his younger sister Georgiana: “Darcys outnumbered by Bennets. Come quickly.” It’s been a few years since we saw them gather (in the C@P trilogy’s first two parts, Miss Bennet and The Wickhams—both done by SSG in previous seasons). Babies are coming along, Jane and Elizabeth still love their husbands (though we only hear about Bingley), and Lizzie and Darcy have the edgy-but-romantic line of banter with each other we enjoy.
Blake Hametner is an amusingly brooding and easily triggered Darcy who shows his loving, humorous side mostly to Elizabeth. She’s the only one who can tease him—sometimes—out of his belief that he always knows best. Corey Carter (who played Elizabeth for SSG in The Wickhams as well) makes a clever, loving wife and sister. Grace Grooms as Jane is calm and lovely; she isn’t the center of attention in this story line, but is a great comforter to the family. Mary Bennet (Karen Matheny) is having adventures in the wider world—she’s putting her intelligence to good use. And Lydia Bennet Wickham (Karsen Clarabut is new to the role) is almost as clueless as ever about life and love.
So, everyone has a checkmark on the list—and that leaves youngest sister Kitty Bennet (Katherine Collins) and her best friend Georgiana Darcy (Marisa Duran) to be the focus of the plot. Both single ladies, and both more grown-up now. Left on her own at the Bennet home, without her ditzier siblings, Kitty now seems more like Lizzie and Jane, a smart and thoughtful young woman. And Georgiana, though still somewhat fragile—and shy of romance since her run-in with Wickham the scoundrel—is becoming braver and more ambitious, especially as she’s become a deeply accomplished classical pianist.
Duran and Collins immediately make us believe in the reality of Georgiana and Kitty’s friendhip. These two, though different in temperaments, are kindred spirits who speak honestly to one another. They’re less likely to tell everything to their other sisters, or to give Georgiana’s forceful guardian Darcy the chance to make every life decision for her.
And two young men will soon arrive at Pemberley—to Mr. Darcy’s obvious displeasure. Henry Grey is an ardent music lover who’s been corresponding with Georgiana; his friend Thomas O’Brien (Gavin Marsicano) is…well, on Henry’s side, and charming. And that, dear readers, is all you get.
We may have a good idea where the story is going, and we’d be half right. But there are some real surprises waiting for us: Gunderson and Melcon swing the plot in an interesting direction, and I believe Jane would have thoroughly approved. The entire cast brings warmth, humanity, and great comic timing to their roles. And the new direction feels like something that’s genuinely drawn from Austen’s original characters—and like it certainly might have happened.
Lauren and Jason Morgan keep this talk-filled show moving, and as always I’m left in awe of Lauren Morgan’s gorgeous period costumes. Nikki DeShea Smith’s clear lighting is just right for Jason Morgan’s clean-lined set. And sound designer Jennifer Stewart does a fine job on the “usual” things—but also needs a nod for the clarity and reality of the piano music on the stage, some of it familiar and other parts new: music composition (it’s part of a plot point) is credited to Jenny Giering.
WHEN: December 6-22, 2024
WHERE: 1300 Gendy Street, Fort Worth
WEB: stolenshakespeareguild.org
