It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
So begins Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the perennial classic about marriage and staple of middle school reading lists. The real beauty in Pride and Prejudice lies in how it exposes the complexity of a union between two people, making the point that marriage is not just a commitment of love or money or property as some would have it, but a complicated bond built of all those things and more, unique to each couple.
No one understands that more than Joanna and Drew Battles, one of three real-life couples performing in Swine Palace’s upcoming production of Pride and Prejudice. George Judy is the director and he’s using an adaptation by Joseph Hanreddy and J. R. Sullivan. The Battles play the parts of the headstrong Elizabeth Bennet and the difficult Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. We spoke about how early in the book the story makes clear that marriage is a contract to be carefully negotiated.
“Those are the societal implications that are put on them in that era,” said Drew Battles, referring to the couple he and his wife portray. “What I think is great about the story is that it is one where two people transcend that—they have to work at it, and, in turn, hopefully get it right by going through the trials and tribulations that a normal courtship should be to try to figure each other out.”
Nineteenth-century English society and the dynamics therein are played out in the story’s exquisite details, the quivering tension in the language, the formality of dinners and balls, and how one’s behavior is always on display.
“This is the time period where things are starting to take a turn,” Joanna Battles explained. “I think this is the first time where people thought of (marriage) in terms of true love, what makes two people a really good match, not just by societal standards, but by personalities that complement each other.”
Staging a play about marriage with actual couples in the roles is an interesting idea. “Once we had Joanna and Drew on board, the idea got to be more and more compelling,” Judy said. Two more couples joined the ranks as the casting proceeded.
Joanna Battles summarized the story—and marriage in general—this way: “Life is really difficult, and it’s a hell of a lot easier if you have a partner in life that complements you and helps you out through those difficult times. I can relate to Elizabeth; she’s very practical and totally surprised to fall in love.”
There will be one more dimension to this exploration of marriage. Swine Palace is holding a contest for one lucky person to propose from the stage opening night.
“With proposals right now, there is such a trend of how you can make them bigger or flashier. We wanted to make it more theatrical and romantic, so opening night at curtain call, we will have a proposal,” said Kristina Udy, Swine Palace’s marketing associate and social media manager.
The winner of the contest will receive four tickets to the production and an engagement session package from MadTight Photography. Eager suitors should email Swine Palace with a concise explanation of why they think they are the best candidate to propose on stage. The winning proposal will be selected based on the content and creativity of the request, and the winner will be notified by January 18, 2012.
After that, it’s all up to the intended.
Details. Details. Details. Swine Palace’s production of Pride and Prejudice, directed by George Judy February 1-19, at the Shaver Theatre in the Music and Dramatic Arts Building on the LSU campus Tickets and performance times are available at swinepalace.org or by calling (225) 578-3527. To propose onstage, enter before midnight January 15, 2012. Full contest rules at swinepalace.org. MadTight Photography: facebook.com/madtightphotography
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